2027 Best Value Business Economics Schools in Illinois
[Business Economics](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/business-managerial-economics/business-economics/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong business economics education at a price that pays off.
For its 2027 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for business economics students.
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2027 Best Value Business Economics Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in business economics, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Business Economics Schools
Wheaton College Illinois earned the #1 spot for value among business economics schools in Illinois. Located in the suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $45,546. Students borrow a median of $24,000 to complete the business economics program here. Early-career business economics graduates make about $55,300. Set against $24,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Wheaton College Illinois admits about 87% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Northwestern University one of the best values for business economics. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Business Economics graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans. Early-career business economics graduates make about $78,551. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in business economics will find it at Depaul University, which ranked #3. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. Business Economics graduates carry a median of $21,666 in student loans. Business Economics graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $53,682 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 76%.
Loyola University Chicago came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value business economics schools. Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. Students borrow a median of $21,574 to complete the business economics program here. Early-career business economics graduates make about $61,333. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Loyola University Chicago admits about 82% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled 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 · 4 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 4 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.
