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2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Illinois

[General Social Sciences](/majors/social-sciences/general-social-sciences/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 15 schools to find the best return on investment for general social sciences students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value General Social Sciences Schools in Illinois

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general social sciences degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value General Social Sciences Schools

1

University Of Chicago
Chicago, IL

$69,324 In-State Tuition & Fees

$15,854 Avg Student Debt

$91,885 Median Earnings (10yr)

University Of Chicago tops our 2026 list of the best value general social sciences schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,324. Typical student debt for general social sciences graduates is $15,854. General Social Sciences graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $53,788 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $15,854 median debt. University Of Chicago admits about 4% of applicants.

2

North Central College
Naperville, IL

$45,726 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,699 Avg Student Debt

$60,123 Median Earnings (10yr)

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at North Central College earned it the #2 place for general social sciences. North Central College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Naperville. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $45,726. General Social Sciences graduates carry a median of $25,699 in student loans. Early-career general social sciences graduates make about $46,247. Set against $25,699 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. North Central College admits about 77% of applicants.

View All General Social Sciences Rankings >

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.