2027 Best Value General Architecture Schools in Illinois
[General Architecture](/majors/architecture-and-related-services/general-architecture/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general architecture education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 3 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general architecture students.
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2027 Best Value General Architecture Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in general architecture, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value General Architecture Schools
For return on investment in general architecture, no school beat University Of Illinois At Chicago this year. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $15,949, while out-of-state students pay about $32,009. General Architecture graduates carry a median of $23,840 in student loans. General Architecture graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $37,143 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. University Of Illinois At Chicago admits about 77% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in general architecture will find it at Southern Illinois University Carbondale, which ranked #2. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public school located in the town of Carbondale. In-state tuition and fees average $13,334. Typical student debt for general architecture graduates is $25,000. Soon after graduation, general architecture degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Carbondale generally make around $51,093. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 87%.
A rank of #3 makes Judson University one of the best values for general architecture. Located in the city of Elgin, Judson University is a small private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $30,297 in tuition and fees. General Architecture graduates carry a median of $26,221 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general architecture degree recipients from Judson University generally make around $48,301. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 48% of applicants are accepted.
More General Architecture Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
