2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

In 2019-2020, 1,475 people earned their degree in urban studies, making the major the 210th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, urban studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $37,971 and had an average of $24,376 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 46 urban studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $18,750 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 40 urban studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking looked at 3 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in urban studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great urban studies programs and 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 urban studies program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college 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. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

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

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

Top 3 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

#2 in overall quality

$13,683 Average Net Price

$38,289 Average Early-Career Earnings

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k list, UIC has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree urban studies 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%.

Full UIC Urban Studies Report

#2

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

#1 in overall quality

$19,691 Average Net Price

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Wheaton College Illinois. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 6 bachelors’s urban studies degrees to qualified students.

Wheaton College Illinois not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for illinois bachelor’s degree urban studies students whose families make $48-$75k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Urban Studies Report

#3

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

#3 in overall quality

$19,703 Average Net Price

Out of the 3 schools in the Best Value Urban Studies Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Elmhurst University landed the #3 spot on the list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s urban studies degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Urban Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $19,703 for illinois bachelor’s degree urban studies 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%.

Full Elmhurst Urban Studies Report

• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $48-$75k) in the Great Lakes Region
• Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Urban Studies (Income $48-$75k)

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 Andrew Bossi.

Featured Political and Social Sciences Schools

Request Info

Southern New Hampshire University You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs ... Learn More >