by our College Data Analytics TeamIt's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard. A school that typically has a high sticker price may actually be very affordable, depending on how much need-based financial aid you receive.
See What's Included in This Value Report:
After analyzing 87 schools in Illinois, we came up with our list of those that offered the best value programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. We explain more about what we look at and why we do so below.
To calculate the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking, we first consider its average net price of students from families making $48-$75k a year. The net price is the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid that that the student receives. But, a school that excels in providing value for your money must also be a great school overall as well.
To account for this we consider a school's overall Best Colleges ranking which itself looks at a collection of different factors like degree completion, educational resources, student body caliber and post-graduation earnings for the school as a whole.
We go into more detail on these factors on our best value ranking methodology page.
Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.
If you know what major you want to study, check out our list of the best value schools by major. If you're interested in other degree levels, you can view one of the lists below.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
University of Chicago tops this year’s ranking as the best value (income $48-$75k) school in Illinois for overall quality. University of Chicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in Chicago, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Chicago is ranked #1 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,432.
The quality degree programs at Northwestern University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.
Not only is Northwestern University a great value, but it is also ranked #2 in Illinois for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $9,389.
Out of the 87 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Illinois for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $11,677.
Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Value Report
A rank of #4 on our Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list means College of Lake County is a great place for students working on their degree. This fairly large public school is located in Grayslake, Illinois.
College of Lake County has the honor of being ranked #12 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,694.
Out of the 87 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Elgin Community College landed the #5 spot on the list. This medium-sized public school is located in Elgin, Illinois.
Not only is Elgin Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #29 in Illinois for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,893.
City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking, coming in at #6. Harold Washington College is a medium-sized public school situated in Chicago, Illinois.
City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College has the honor of being ranked #39 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,080.
Full City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College Value Report
With a ranking of #7, Joliet Junior College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. This fairly large public school is located in Joliet, Illinois.
Not only is Joliet Junior College a great value, but it is also ranked #53 in Illinois for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $4,840.
City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College ranked #8 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College a great value, but it is also ranked #52 in Illinois for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,027.
Read full value report on City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College
College of DuPage landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking. Located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois, the school is a large public institution.
Not only is College of DuPage a great value, but it is also ranked #31 in Illinois for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,631.
With a ranking of #10, City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. This small public school is located in Chicago, Illinois.
Not only is City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman College a great value, but it is also ranked #49 in Illinois for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,898.
Full City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman College Value Report
Carl Sandburg College ranked #11 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. Carl Sandburg College is a public institution located in Galesburg, Illinois.
Not only is Carl Sandburg College a great value, but it is also ranked #65 in Illinois for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $4,401.
Triton College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. Triton College is a medium-sized public school situated in River Grove, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Triton College is ranked #47 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,384.
With a ranking of #13, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the school is a large public institution.
University of Illinois at Chicago has the honor of being ranked #8 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $12,080.
William Rainey Harper College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. Palatine, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
William Rainey Harper College has the honor of being ranked #25 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $8,781.
Oakton Community College ranked #15 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. Located in Des Plaines, Illinois, the school is a medium-sized public institution.
Not only is Oakton Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #37 in Illinois for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $7,728.
Waubonsee Community College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. Waubonsee is located in Sugar Grove, Illinois and has a medium-sized student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Waubonsee Community College is ranked #50 for quality in the state of Illinois. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,923.
City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking, coming in at #17. City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College is a medium-sized public school located in Chicago, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College is ranked #59 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $6,108.
Full City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College Value Report
South Suburban College landed the #18 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking. Located in South Holland, Illinois, the school is a small public institution.
South Suburban College has the honor of being ranked #44 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,673.
Black Hawk College landed the #19 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking. Located in Moline, Illinois, the school is a small public institution.
Black Hawk College has the honor of being ranked #71 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,176.
With a ranking of #20, City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J Daley College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J Daley College is ranked #69 for quality in the state of Illinois. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $5,591.
Read full value report on City Colleges of Chicago - Richard J Daley College
With a ranking of #21, Lewis and Clark Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. Lewis and Clark Community College is located in Godfrey, Illinois and has a small student population. It is a public school.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Lewis and Clark Community College is ranked #67 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $5,785.
Lincoln Land Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois list. LLCC is a small public school situated in Springfield, Illinois.
Not only is Lincoln Land Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #45 in Illinois for overall quality. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $7,933.
City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College landed the #23 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
Not only is City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College a great value, but it is also ranked #80 in Illinois for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $4,672.
Read full value report on City Colleges of Chicago - Kennedy-King College
Danville Area Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking, coming in at #24. This small public school is located in Danville, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Danville Area Community College is ranked #64 for quality in the state of Illinois. Students from families who make $48-$75k a year pay an annual average net price of $6,592.
Trinity Christian College landed the #25 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois ranking. Trinity Christian is a private not-for-profit institution located in Palos Heights, Illinois.
Not only is Trinity Christian College a great value, but it is also ranked #43 in Illinois for overall quality. The average yearly net price for a student whose family makes $48-$75k per year is $9,286.
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.