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2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

26 Ranked Colleges
2,106 Degrees Awarded
$27,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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.

For this year’s “Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality economics programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. 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 Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

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Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k

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

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

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 581 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also took the #3 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,880 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Economics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #2 spot on the list. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 4 students in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $110k.

Read more about Economics at University of Illinois at Springfield

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 128 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $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%.

Read full report on Economics at UIC

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 30 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,259 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Economics at NIU

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Economics at Eastern Illinois University

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $110k.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Economics Report

#7

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Dominican University is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k list, Dominican U has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $19,268 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $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.

Read more about Economics at Dominican U

With a ranking of #8, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 23 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#9

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #9. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 33 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,195 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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 Olivet Nazarene University

#10

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 18 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #24 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Economics at WIU

#11

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 392 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #2 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,664 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Northwestern University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at Northwestern

#12

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jacksonville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $16,562 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Economics at Illinois College

#13

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 8 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #7 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana College is $23,874 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Economics at Augustana

#14

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s economics degrees to 60 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #10 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k.

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%.

Full Illinois State Economics Report

#15

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. McKendree University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 17 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at McKendree, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,844 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend McKendree University.

Read full report on Economics at McKendree

#16

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, University of Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 525 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $27,315 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend University of Chicago.

The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%.

Read more about Economics at UChicago

#17

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s 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 #9 spot in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,786 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend North Central.

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%.

Full North Central Economics Report

#18

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. 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 more about Economics at Wheaton College Illinois

#19

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 21 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $26,426 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k.

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 full report on Economics at Lake Forest

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 11 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $110k.

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 more about Economics at Elmhurst

#21

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 18 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k list, Knox has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Knox is $22,292 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $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. 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%.

Full Knox Economics Report

#22

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #22. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Economics Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,634 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Bradley.

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%.

Full Bradley Economics Report

#23

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #23. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 6 ’s economics degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $22,749 for Illinois Economics students whose families make more than $110k.

Read full report on Economics at Roosevelt

#24

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois

Rockford University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking. Rockford, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $22,197 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Rockford.

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 more about Economics at Rockford

#25

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well in the 2022 Best Vallue Economics Schools in Illinois For Those Making Over $110k ranking, coming in at #25. Illinois Wesleyan 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. It costs about $26,039 for illinois economics students whose families make more than $110k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Illinois Wesleyan University Economics Report

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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