Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Find Schools Near

2022 Best Value Colleges for Finance (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

30 Ranked Colleges
1,966 Degrees Awarded
$14,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

With 52,394 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, finance is the 10th most popular major in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 1,966 finance graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 30 colleges that offered a degree in finance. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great finance programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the finance program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Finance (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s finance degrees to 68 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $1,866 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Full Northwestern Finance Report

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 256 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $5,477 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Finance at UIUC

Out of the 30 schools in the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. UIC is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 256 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,648 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Chicago Finance Report

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 90 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, NIU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $15,281 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Illinois University Finance Report

#5

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 245 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #5 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Full Illinois State University Finance Report

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

SXU also made our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $11,266 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SXU.

Read full report on Finance at SXU

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $12,350 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Eastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Finance at Eastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Carbondale, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s finance degrees to 40 students in 2019-2020.

SIUC also took the #21 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Finance at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#9

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Augustana is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 55 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $20,355 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana College Finance Report

#10

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 17 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Illinois College Finance Report

#11

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Lewis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lewis is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 27 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis also took the #16 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,821 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lewis University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Lewis Finance Report

#12

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 33 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Aurora, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $14,103 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Finance at Aurora

#13

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 46 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $16,903 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Finance at Elmhurst

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of St Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $15,847 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Finance at University of Saint Francis

#15

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 17 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, WIU has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $13,942 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Western Illinois University Finance Report

#16

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s finance degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Wesleyan, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $18,570 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Finance at Illinois Wesleyan University

#17

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Lake Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s finance degrees to 29 students in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also took the #12 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest is $18,192 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance at Lake Forest

#18

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Bradley University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 19 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also made our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. It costs about $17,205 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about Finance at Bradley University

Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 38 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also made our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. It costs about $17,222 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Illinois Institute of Technology Finance Report

#20

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Quincy, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s finance degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,292 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Quincy U.

Read more about Finance at Quincy University

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 58 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Finance Report

#22

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #22. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified ’s finance students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $17,060 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Dominican University Finance Report

#23

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 degrees to qualified ’s finance students in 2019-2020.

Millikin also took the #24 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,656 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Millikin.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Finance at Millikin University

#24

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Trinity Christian is located in Palos Heights, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 10 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

Trinity Christian also took the #18 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,611 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Trinity Christian.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 5.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Finance at Trinity Christian

#25

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 39 diplomas to qualified ’s finance students in 2019-2020.

North Central also took the #14 spot in our “Best Finance Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $18,889 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance at North Central College

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

Credits

Featured Accounting / Finance Schools

Find Schools Near You