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2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

27 Ranked Colleges
2,106 Degrees Awarded
$22,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Economics is the 18th most popular major in the country with 48,831 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $47,295 and had an average of $21,978 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,106 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $49,350 and $22,044 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” ranking analyzed 27 colleges that offered a degree in economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent 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 economics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Economics Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k” 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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Economics (Income $75-$110k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 392 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $16,784 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics 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 Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 525 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. It costs about $17,929 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend UChicago.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. 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%.

Full UChicago Economics Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 4 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $17,342 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full UIS Economics Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 581 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $21,998 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Economics Report

#5

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Out of the 27 schools in the Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Wheaton College Illinois landed the #5 spot on the list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 40 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $24,299 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national 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 Economics at Wheaton College Illinois

University of Illinois at Chicago came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 128 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $20,270 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Economics at UIC

#7

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 30 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #19 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $21,425 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Economics at Northern Illinois University

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #21 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $19,147 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Economics at EIU

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #18 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $18,928 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read full report on Economics at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

SIUC also made our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $20,698 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Economics Report

#11

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $21,979 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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.

Full Dominican U Economics Report

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 18 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $20,181 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Western Illinois University Economics Report

#13

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Knox is a private not-for-profit institution located in Galesburg, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Knox, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Knox College is $23,813 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Knox College

#14

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 33 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Olivet Nazarene did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $21,306 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Economics Report

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 17 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $22,526 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Economics at Northeastern Illinois University

#16

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $23,434 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k per year to attend McKendree University.

Read more about Economics at McKendree

#17

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Jacksonville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $19,711 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Full Illinois College Economics Report

#18

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $23,730 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Full Augustana College Economics Report

#19

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 60 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $25,379 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 Economics at Illinois State

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #20. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 11 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $23,604 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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 more about Economics at Elmhurst

#21

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. North Central College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Naperville, Illinois. It awarded 31 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k list, North Central has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $25,778 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 Economics at North Central

#22

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 21 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $30,189 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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%.

Full Lake Forest Economics Report

#23

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also took the #11 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $28,169 for illinois economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

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

#24

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k list. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $27,302 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Economics at Illinois Wesleyan University

#25

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making $75-$110k ranking, coming in at #25. Roosevelt University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 6 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $23,695 for Illinois Economics students whose families make $75-$110k.

Read more about Economics at Roosevelt University

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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