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2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics

21 Ranked Colleges
2,155 Degrees Awarded
$28,500 Avg Cost*
Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, veterans have many different options to choose from. College Factual has developed its “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2020-2021, 49,055 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,155 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $51,939 and $23,350 respectively.

This year’s “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics” ranking analyzed 21 colleges that offered a degree in economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality economics programs as well as strong veteran support.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the economics program at the school, veteran affordability, and veteran population. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest 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.

Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois vets studying economics.

Top 21 Best Economics Colleges for Veterans in Illinois

1

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 563 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying economics list, UIUC has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 52,679 students enrolled at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, 10 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $0. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

Read More…

2
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 626 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

UChicago also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, University of Chicago supports 17,834 students, and 241 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 113 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $18,948. During this same period, 58 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read More…

3

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale. The school came in at #3 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 24 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

SIUC also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Among the 11,366 students enrolled at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 1 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 0 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $0. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers credit for military training for eligible students.

Full SIUC Veteran Student Life Report

4

Out of the 21 schools in the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 129 diplomas to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

UIC also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, UIC supports 33,518 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,878. To help with additional expenses, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. UIC does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

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

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Veteran Student Life Report

5

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #5 for the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 12 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville supports 12,860 students, and 3 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 2 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $23,082. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Read More…

6

Illinois State University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 530 of the 20,720 students enrolled at Illinois State were GI Bill® students, of which 163 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $6,997. In addition to receiving other benefits, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Illinois State University]](/colleges/illinois-state-university/student-life/veterans/)

7
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #7 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 16 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 46 of the 2,832 students enrolled at North Central were GI Bill® students, of which 32 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $19,214. In addition to receiving other benefits, 15 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at North Central]](/colleges/north-central-college/student-life/veterans/)

8
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics list. DePaul is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 21,922 students enrolled at DePaul, 528 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 367 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $14,957. During this same period, 101 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. DePaul offers credit for military training for eligible students.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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…

9
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 402 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Northwestern supports 22,603 students, and 1 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 1 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $399. During this same period, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Northwestern University]](/colleges/northwestern-university/student-life/veterans/)

10

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking, coming in at #10. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 14 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

WIU also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.According to our most recent data, Western Illinois University supports 7,490 students, and 330 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 62 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $4,652. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Western Illinois University does offer credit for military training for eligible students.

Full WIU Veteran Student Life Report

11
McKendree crest
McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

McKendree also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 2,200 students enrolled at McKendree University, 69 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 41 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $5,814. During this same period, 0 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 McKendree Veteran Student Life Report

12

Northern Illinois University landed the #12 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 27 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 480 of the 16,769 students enrolled at Northern Illinois University were GI Bill® students, of which 207 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $7,822. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

Read More…

13

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #13 spot on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 19 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].According to our most recent data, Northeastern Illinois University supports 7,119 students, and 147 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 83 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $6,460. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

14
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking, coming in at #14. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

In addition to being on our illinois vets studying economics list, EIU has also earned the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] rank in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Of the 8,626 students enrolled at Eastern Illinois University, 184 were GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 46 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $4,730. To help with additional expenses, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Full Eastern Illinois University Veteran Student Life Report

14
Olivet Nazarene crest
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #14 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics list. Olivet Nazarene University is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 19 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 57 of the 3,764 students enrolled at Olivet Nazarene University were GI Bill® students, of which 35 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $12,334. To help with additional expenses, 11 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

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

[Read full report on veteran student life at Olivet Nazarene University]](/colleges/olivet-nazarene-university/student-life/veterans/)

16
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Augustana College did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics list. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 17 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Among the 2,389 students enrolled at Augustana, 28 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 14 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $13,990. In addition to receiving other benefits, 4 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Students may be able to receive credit for their military training, depending on their background.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read More…

17
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking. Roosevelt University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Roosevelt not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.According to our most recent data, Roosevelt supports 4,680 students, and 95 of those are GI Bill® students, of which 43 are Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $12,071. To help with additional expenses, 20 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

Full Roosevelt University Veteran Student Life Report

18
Illinois College crest
Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 10 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] on our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list.Our most recent data shows that 31 of the 1,154 students enrolled at Illinois College were GI Bill® students, of which 19 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $17,406. On top of their other funding sources, 0 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program. Eligible students may be able to receive credit for their military training.

[Read full report on veteran student life at Illinois College]](/colleges/illinois-college/student-life/veterans/)

19
Knox crest
Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College ranked #19 on this year’s Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics list. Knox is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 20 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Knox, the school also landed the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Our most recent data shows that 15 of the 1,154 students enrolled at Knox College were GI Bill® students, of which 6 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average tuition and fees award for the Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients was $13,371. In addition to receiving other benefits, 1 students qualified for the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 undergrad 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 Veteran Student Life Report

20
Lake Forest crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics ranking, coming in at #20. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 32 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Lake Forest also made our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” list, coming in at #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS].Our most recent data shows that 11 of the 1,583 students enrolled at Lake Forest College were GI Bill® students, of which 7 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $23,079. To help with additional expenses, 1 students received scholarships through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

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

Read More…

21
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2023 Most Veteran Friendly in Illinois for Economics list. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 35 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #[COLLEGE_QUALITY_RANK_ALL_LEVELS] spot in our “[COLLEGE_QUALITY_NAME_ALL_LEVELS]” ranking.Among the 2,908 students enrolled at Wheaton College Illinois, 56 are GI Bill® students, according to our most recent data. Out of that number, 45 were Post-9/11 GI Bill® recipients. The average Post-9/11 GI Bill® award for tuition and fees at the school was $20,675. On top of their other funding sources, 29 students received funds through the Yellow Ribbon Program.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of [DEFAULT_RATE_STRING]% 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 90%. The impressive undergraduate 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…

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