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2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

41 Ranked Colleges
3,617 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 134,326 general psychology students received their degree, making the major the 4th most popular in the country. In 2017-2018, general psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $28,999 and had an average of $26,247 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 3,617 general psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,628 and $27,034 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 41 colleges that offered a degree in general psychology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general psychology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general psychology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Psychology Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 163 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Northwestern University General Psychology Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 483 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,648 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read full report on General Psychology at University of Illinois at Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 213 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at SIUE

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 215 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, NIU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Psychology at NIU

#5

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Governors State University is a small school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 113 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $10,872 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Psychology at GSU

#6

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 34 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 General Psychology at Wheaton College Illinois

#7

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 74 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lewis has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis University is $12,821 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.6% 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%.

Read more about General Psychology at Lewis

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois. It awarded 61 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIS has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $9,771 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UIS General Psychology Report

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 169 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,470 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State.

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%.

Full Illinois State University General Psychology Report

#10

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 72 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $11,266 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Saint Xavier University General Psychology Report

#11

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 102 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full EIU General Psychology Report

#12

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 33 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $11,376 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at Illinois College

#13

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Aurora is $14,103 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at Aurora University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. SIUC is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 117 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#15

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 52 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $17,205 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%.

Read more about General Psychology at Bradley

#16

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 107 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $16,903 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at Elmhurst

#17

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 85 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $13,942 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at Western Illinois University

#18

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Monmouth College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Monmouth, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Monmouth also made our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth is $13,231 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Monmouth General Psychology Report

#19

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 53 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Augustana has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,355 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Psychology at Augustana College

#20

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 35 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Trinity Christian College is $16,611 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on General Psychology at Trinity Christian College

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 28 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Tech is $17,222 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on General Psychology at Illinois Tech

#22

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Quincy U is a private not-for-profit institution located in Quincy, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Quincy U has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,292 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Quincy U.

Read full report on General Psychology at Quincy U

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 110 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Psychology at Northeastern Illinois University

#24

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan University is $18,570 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about General Psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University

#25

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. University of St Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 20 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $15,847 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 General Psychology at University of Saint Francis

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to BruceBlaus.

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