by our College Data Analytics TeamThere are lots of options to choose from today when trying to decide which school to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our Best Value Illinois Schools ranking - to help you make that decision.
In This Year's Value Report:
We analyzed 87 schools across Illinois to determine which have the best value programs. Our ranking for the best value schools is based on objective factors. We steer clear of subjective measures since they don't give a clear picture when determining how one school compares to another. In the next few paragraphs, we'll talk a little about what we use in our analysis and why.
To determine the value of a school in our Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking, we first add average tuition, fees, and room and board costs (without aid) together. In addition, the overall quality of a school is important to ensure a good education, not just how much it costs.
To make it into this list a school must offer a quality education like the schools in our Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considers factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.
Find out more about our best value ranking methodology.
You can scroll down to see the top schools for this ranking, but you may also want to view some of the other ranking methods listed below.
Know what field you want to major in? Make sure you check out our best value schools by major. In addition, you can select one of the links below to see the best value colleges for other degree levels.
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2024 rankings named Elgin Community College the best value (no aid) school in Illinois. ECC is a medium-sized public school situated in Elgin, Illinois.
Not only is Elgin Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #29 in Illinois for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $12,765 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $5,625 a year.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is ranked #3 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $30,128 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $30,317 a year.
Read full value report on University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend College of Lake County. It ranked #3 on our 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list. College of Lake County is a public institution 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 cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $20,188 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $10,556 a year.
The quality degree programs at Concordia University, Chicago helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois. Located in River Forest, Illinois, the school is a medium-sized private not-for-profit institution.
Not only is Concordia University, Chicago a great value, but it is also ranked #5 in Illinois for overall quality. The average cost without aid for the school is $44,740 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $19,808 a year.
A rank of #5 on our Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list means Illinois State University is a great place for students working on their degree. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Illinois State University is ranked #7 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost without aid for the school is $24,114 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $19,919 a year.
With a ranking of #6, Lincoln Land Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list. LLCC is located in Springfield, Illinois and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Lincoln Land Community College has the honor of being ranked #45 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $13,959 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $7,119 a year.
Moraine Valley Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list. MVCC is a fairly large public school situated in Palos Hills, Illinois.
Moraine Valley Community College has the honor of being ranked #48 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $13,484 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $5,366 a year.
Rasmussen University - Illinois came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking. Located in Rockford, Illinois, the school is a small private for-profit institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Rasmussen University - Illinois is ranked #15 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $22,604 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $14,336 a year.
South Suburban College landed the #9 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking. SSC is a small public school situated in South Holland, Illinois.
South Suburban College has the honor of being ranked #44 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $15,433 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $4,400 per year for graduate students.
Oakton Community College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking, coming in at #10. Oakton Community College is a public institution located in Des Plaines, Illinois.
Oakton Community College has the honor of being ranked #37 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $18,465 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $8,019 a year.
With a ranking of #11, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. It is a public school.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville has the honor of being ranked #30 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $21,377 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $19,197 per year for graduate students.
Learn More About Value at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking. City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington 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 - Harold Washington College is ranked #39 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $19,648 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $8,128 a year.
Learn More About Value at City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #13 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. It is a public school.
University of Illinois at Chicago has the honor of being ranked #8 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $27,853 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $29,527 per year for graduate students.
Danville Area Community College landed the #14 spot on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking. DACC is a small public school situated 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. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $12,250 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $3,600 per year for graduate students.
College of DuPage did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking, coming in at #15. This large public school is located in Glen Ellyn, Illinois.
College of DuPage has the honor of being ranked #31 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $21,774 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $12,024 a year.
Prairie State College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking, coming in at #16. Chicago Heights, 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, Prairie State College is ranked #51 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $16,858 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $7,516 per year for graduate students.
Triton College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list. Triton College is a medium-sized public school situated in River Grove, Illinois.
Triton College has the honor of being ranked #47 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $18,264 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $7,074 per year for graduate students.
With a ranking of #18, Shawnee Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list. Shawnee Community College is located in Ullin, Illinois and has a small student population. It is a public school.
Not only is Shawnee Community College a great value, but it is also ranked #70 in Illinois for overall quality. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $12,390 a year. The average cost without aid for the school is $6,300 per year for graduate students.
Southwestern Illinois College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. SWIC is located in Belleville, 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, Southwestern Illinois College is ranked #73 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost without aid for the school is $11,060 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $4,670 a year.
Carl Sandburg College did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking, coming in at #20. Carl Sandburg College is a small public school located in Galesburg, Illinois.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, Carl Sandburg College is ranked #65 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $14,070 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $6,210 a year.
With a ranking of #21, John Wood Community College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list. John Wood Community College is a small public school located in Quincy, Illinois.
John Wood Community College has the honor of being ranked #62 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $15,090 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $6,900 a year.
William Rainey Harper College came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking. Located in Palatine, Illinois, the school is a fairly large public institution.
In addition to being included on this ranking as a good value, William Rainey Harper College is ranked #25 for quality in the state of Illinois. The average cost without aid for the school is $24,300 a year for undergraduates. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $14,430 a year.
Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school located in Dekalb, Illinois.
Northern Illinois University has the honor of being ranked #26 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost without aid for the school is $25,738 a year for undergraduates. The average cost without aid for the school is $22,390 per year for graduate students.
Waubonsee Community College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois ranking. Waubonsee is a medium-sized public school situated in Sugar Grove, Illinois.
Waubonsee Community College has the honor of being ranked #50 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $19,140 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $9,869 a year.
With a ranking of #25, City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman College did quite well on the 2024 Best Colleges for the Money in Illinois list. Harry S Truman College is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois.
City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman College has the honor of being ranked #49 in Illinois for overall quality on top of being a good value. The average cost for undergraduates to attend the school if you don’t receive any aid is $19,648 a year. The average cost to attend the school for graduate students if you don’t receive any aid is $8,128 a year.
Read full value report on City Colleges of Chicago - Harry S Truman College
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Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
More about our data sources and methodologies.