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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

15 Ranked Colleges
1,158 Degrees Awarded
$31,979 Avg Salary
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 27,169 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,138 and $14,095 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,158 liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school awarded 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $7,934 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.6% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UChicago

#2

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 123 students in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $13,560 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Eastern Illinois University

#8 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. UIS is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $11,857 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of Illinois at Springfield

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,346 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full NIU Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#5

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Governors State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at GSU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for GSU is $11,872 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Governors State University

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 169 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k list, WIU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $15,912 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Western Illinois University

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Saint Xavier University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 24 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $14,907 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Saint Xavier University

#8

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

University of St Francis ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,220 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of St Francis

#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 54 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #12 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 144 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $19,080 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Illinois State

#11 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 158 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Northeastern Illinois University not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Northeastern Illinois University

#12

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Chicago State University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. CSU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 36 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

CSU also took the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend CSU is $10,023 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CSU

#13

Lincoln College

Lincoln, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Lincoln College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lincoln, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 10 students in 2019-2020.

Lincoln College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Lincoln College is $22,467 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Lincoln College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#14

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 141 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $48-$75k list, DePaul has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $28,075 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend DePaul.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at DePaul

#15

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

North Central College landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. North Central is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $23,353 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $48-$75k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

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Notes and References

References

  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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