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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

35 Ranked Colleges
4,783 Degrees Awarded
$32,832 Avg Salary
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

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 Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 205,726 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $34,801 and had an average of $23,466 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 5,941 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,078 and $23,135 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,783 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree in social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social sciences programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the social sciences program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

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

Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #1 spot on the list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 603 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $7,934 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 impressive 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 about Social Sciences at University of Chicago

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 555 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $6,452 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Northwestern University Social Sciences Report

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 867 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,351 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Full UIUC Social Sciences Report

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. UIS is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIS has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIS is $11,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Springfield

#11 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 290 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Chicago

#6

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 120 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Wheaton College Illinois

#17 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 126 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $13,705 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Social Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 206 students in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $18,346 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Northern Illinois University

#8

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k list, SXU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,907 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Xavier University.

Read full report on Social Sciences at SXU

#10

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $13,560 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Social Sciences at EIU

#18 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 137 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at SIUC

#12

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 257 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $19,080 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Social Sciences at Illinois State

#13

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Augustana is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 71 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,453 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Augustana College.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, 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 85%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Augustana

#14

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest College is $24,683 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full Lake Forest Social Sciences Report

#14

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Knox College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 48 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Knox, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,653 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Knox College.

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. The low student loan default rate of 4.8% 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 Social Sciences at Knox

#16

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Joliet, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #23 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,220 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 Social Sciences at University of St Francis

#17

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,912 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read more about Social Sciences at WIU

#18

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Elmhurst is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,703 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Elmhurst University

#19

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, National Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. National Louis University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 29 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $16,888 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NLU.

Read full report on Social Sciences at NLU

#20

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 47 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $17,841 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Olivet Nazarene Social Sciences Report

#21

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Dominican University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 83 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #16 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,582 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Dominican University.

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.

Full Dominican U Social Sciences Report

#22

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $14,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Illinois College

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 72 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $18,180 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Northeastern Illinois University

#24

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 12 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $20,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Millikin.

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.

Full Millikin University Social Sciences Report

#25

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,023 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend CSU.

With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read more about Social Sciences at Chicago State 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.

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