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2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

45 Ranked Colleges
6,271 Degrees Awarded
$13,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Psychology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 183,889 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,496 and had an average of $36,227 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 6,271 psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,828 and $49,680 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 45 colleges that offered a degree in psychology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent psychology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the psychology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank 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 $30-$48k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Psychology (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 405 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $3,995 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%.

Read full report on Psychology at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 139 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $2,800 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at University of Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 590 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Psychology Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 486 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $11,185 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at UIC

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 222 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $9,938 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Psychology at SIUE

University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 82 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $8,323 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIS.

Read more about Psychology at UIS

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 217 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,861 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Psychology at Northern Illinois University

#8

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 174 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Governors State University is $12,046 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Psychology at GSU

#9

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 120 degrees to qualified ’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $11,316 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Psychology at Eastern Illinois University

#10

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 71 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $13,845 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 full report on Psychology at Aurora University

#11

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

The yearly cost to attend SXU is $11,962 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Psychology at SXU

#12

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 33 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois College has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $12,454 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Psychology at Illinois College

#13

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 198 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also made our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,999 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Psychology at Illinois State

#14

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Lewis is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 74 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis also made our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $13,377 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Lewis University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at Lewis

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 117 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,306 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#16

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #16. Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 34 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $19,152 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at Lake Forest

#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 $30-$48k list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 89 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $14,526 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Psychology at WIU

#18

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Knox College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Knox is $19,186 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Knox College Psychology Report

#19

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 52 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $18,232 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%.

Read more about Psychology at Bradley University

#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 $30-$48k ranking. Palos Heights, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 49 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Trinity Christian, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,918 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Trinity Christian.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at Trinity Christian College

With a ranking of #21, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 110 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Psychology at Northeastern Illinois University

#22

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #22. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 92 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,212 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Psychology at Wheaton College Illinois

#23

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 $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #23. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 21 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $11,229 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Psychology at University of Saint Francis

#24

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 130 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also took the #17 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,837 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at Elmhurst

#25

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #25. Monmouth is a small school located in Monmouth, Illinois that handed out 14 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Monmouth, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth is $14,337 for illinois psychology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Psychology at Monmouth College

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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