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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

23 Ranked Colleges
857 Degrees Awarded
$14,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

General Economics is the 22nd most popular major in the country with 31,150 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 901 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 857 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 23 colleges that offered a degree in general economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general economics 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 general economics program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northwestern is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $1,866 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Economics at Northwestern

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 436 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UIUC General Economics Report

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 99 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at University of Illinois at Chicago

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Economics at SIUE

#9 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $9,771 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Economics at UIS

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s 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 24 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

NIU also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on General Economics at Northern Illinois University

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #17 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $12,350 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on General Economics at EIU

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics 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%.

Read full report on General Economics at Illinois State

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

WIU also took the #13 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $13,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Economics at Western Illinois University

#10

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Illinois College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also took the #16 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,376 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois College.

Full Illinois College General Economics Report

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #11, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $13,658 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about General Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#12

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. This small school is located in Bloomington, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $18,570 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois Wesleyan University General Economics Report

#13

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

With a ranking of #13, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,903 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Economics at Elmhurst University

#14

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 8 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $20,355 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 Economics at Augustana

#15

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $17,205 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about General Economics at Bradley

#21 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #16. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #21 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,816 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read more about General Economics at Northeastern Illinois University

#17

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $17,060 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 more about General Economics at Dominican University

#18

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $15,806 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics 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 Economics at Olivet Nazarene University

#19

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

McKendree University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 17 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k list, McKendree has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend McKendree is $15,184 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full McKendree University General Economics Report

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

North Central College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,889 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Central.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at North Central

#21

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #21. Roosevelt is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

Roosevelt also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $20,398 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Economics at Roosevelt

#22

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Rockford University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Rockford, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

Rockford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rockford is $21,868 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students whose families make $0-$30k.

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.

Read full report on General Economics at Rockford University

#23

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

DePaul University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $26,173 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DePaul.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 Economics at DePaul University

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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