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2024 Best Schools for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois for Bachelor's Degrees

47 Colleges
$16,390 Avg Net Price (With Aid)*
56% Discount Rate*

It's not easy to decide which school to attend when you have so many options available. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Illinois Schools For The Money For Those Getting Aid for a Bachelor's ranking - to help you make that decision. The amount of financial aid you could receive at various schools, including some with high sticker prices, may surprise you.

See What's Included in This Value Report:

Your Choice of School Matters

Our analysis looked at 47 schools in Illinois to determine which ones have the best value Bachelor's Degree programs. To come up with this ranking of the best value schools, we look at factors that are all objective measurements. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.

Our Methodology

When determining the value of a school in our Best Bachelor's Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking, we first look at its average net price, which is defined as the sum of room and board, tuition, and fees minus any financial aid 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 include 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.

Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.

Keep scrolling for the top schools in this ranking or select one of the other rankings methods below.

Without Aid Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income $0-$30k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income $30-$48k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income $48-$75k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income $75-$110k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
With Aid (Income Over $110k) Best Value Bachelor's Degrees
Want to see the list of best value schools for families with specific income levels or whether or not aid is being applied? Click on one of the tiles above. If you'd rather work on your degree in a specific area of the country, you might be interested in our rankings by place. Also, you may want to check out our other college rankings.

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.

Best Value Bachelor's Degree Schools (With Aid) in Illinois

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

1

Our 2024 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the best value (with aid) school in Illinois for students working on their bachelor’s degree. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois.

Not only is University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign a great value, but it is also ranked #3 in Illinois for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $14,272.

Read full value report on University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

2

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and has a large student population. It is a public school.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Illinois at Chicago is ranked #7 for quality in the state of Illinois. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $10,725.

Learn More About Value at University of Illinois at Chicago

3

A rank of #3 on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list means Western Illinois University is a great place for students working on their degree. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school located in Macomb, Illinois.

Western Illinois University has the honor of being ranked #26 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $11,666.

Read full value report on Western Illinois University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Northern Illinois University is ranked #16 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $13,265 a year.

Learn More About Value at Northern Illinois University

5
CSU crest
Chicago State University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 47 bachelor’s degree schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Chicago State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.

Chicago State University has the honor of being ranked #47 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $4,846.

Full Chicago State University Value Report

6
GSU crest
Governors State University
University Park, Illinois

Governors State University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking, coming in at #6. University Park, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a public school.

Not only is Governors State University a great value, but it is also ranked #44 in Illinois for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $9,943.

Read full value report on Governors State University

7
SXU crest
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Saint Xavier University is ranked #34 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $13,419 a year.

Full Saint Xavier University Value Report

8

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #8 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, the school is a fairly large public institution.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is ranked #20 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $15,976 a year.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Value Report

9

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #9 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is ranked #23 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $15,519 a year.

Read full value report on Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

10

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #10 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, the school is a small public institution.

Not only is University of Illinois at Springfield a great value, but it is also ranked #43 in Illinois for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $11,965 a year.

Read full value report on University of Illinois at Springfield

11
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Eastern Illinois University is ranked #38 for quality in the state of Illinois. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $13,669.

Learn More About Value at Eastern Illinois University

12
Trinity Christian crest
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College landed the #12 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking. Trinity Christian is located in Palos Heights, Illinois and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Trinity Christian College is ranked #35 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $14,700 a year.

Read full value report on Trinity Christian College

13
Northwestern crest
Northwestern University
Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking. This large private not-for-profit school is located in Evanston, Illinois.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Northwestern University is ranked #2 for quality in the state of Illinois. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $29,999.

Learn More About Value at Northwestern University

14
University of Saint Francis crest
University of St Francis
Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. University of Saint Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.

University of St Francis has the honor of being ranked #21 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $16,949.

Learn More About Value at University of St Francis

15
Aurora crest
Aurora University
Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #15 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking. Aurora is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois.

Not only is Aurora University a great value, but it is also ranked #19 in Illinois for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $17,410 a year.

Full Aurora University Value Report

16
Illinois State crest
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking. Illinois State University is a large public school located in Normal, Illinois.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Illinois State University is ranked #6 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $21,033 a year.

Read full value report on Illinois State University

17
NLU crest
National Louis University
Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University landed the #17 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the school is a medium-sized private not-for-profit institution.

National Louis University has the honor of being ranked #37 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $14,665 a year.

Full National Louis University Value Report

18
Concordia University, Chicago crest
Concordia University, Chicago
River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago ranked #18 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and has a medium-sized student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.

Concordia University, Chicago has the honor of being ranked #14 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $18,817.

Learn More About Value at Concordia University, Chicago

19

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. It is a public school.

Not only is Northeastern Illinois University a great value, but it is also ranked #42 in Illinois for overall quality. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $14,133.

Read full value report on Northeastern Illinois University

20
Lewis crest
Lewis University
Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and has a medium-sized student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.

Not only is Lewis University a great value, but it is also ranked #24 in Illinois for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $18,312 a year.

Full Lewis University Value Report

21
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois.

University of Chicago has the honor of being ranked #1 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $33,727.

Learn More About Value at University of Chicago

22
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Monmouth College did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. Monmouth, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. It is a private not-for-profit school.

Monmouth College has the honor of being ranked #29 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $17,935.

Read full value report on Monmouth College

23
Judson crest
Judson University
Elgin, Illinois

Judson University did quite well in the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. Judson is located in Elgin, Illinois and has a small student population. It is a private not-for-profit school.

In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Judson University is ranked #32 for quality in the state of Illinois. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $18,266.

Read full value report on Judson University

24
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Dominican University did quite well on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois list. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois.

Dominican University has the honor of being ranked #30 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. For those students who receive financial aid, the yearly average net price of the school is around $18,476.

Read full value report on Dominican University

25
Millikin crest
Millikin University
Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #25 spot on the 2024 Best Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for the Money (With Aid) in Illinois ranking. Located in Decatur, Illinois, the school is a small private not-for-profit institution.

Not only is Millikin University a great value, but it is also ranked #25 in Illinois for overall quality. The average net price of the school for those who receive financial aid is about $20,055 a year.

Learn More About Value at Millikin University

Best Value Bachelor's Degree Schools (With Aid) in the Great Lakes Region

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Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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