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2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

30 Ranked Colleges
2,123 Degrees Awarded
$14,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 57,893 people earned their degree in finance and financial management, making the major the 14th most popular in the United States. In 2017-2018, finance and financial management graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $51,578 and had an average of $26,517 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,123 finance and financial management graduates with average earnings and debt of $48,379 and $24,496 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 30 colleges that offer a degree in finance and financial management. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great finance and financial management 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 and financial management program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The finance school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.

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. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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 & Financial Management (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 68 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full Northwestern University Finance & Financial Management Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k 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 & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UIUC Finance & Financial Management Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s finance degrees to 256 students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago 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%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at University of Illinois at Chicago

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

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, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. NIU is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 91 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $15,281 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at NIU

#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 is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 245 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois State has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State Finance & Financial Management Report

#6

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the 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 62 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $11,266 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Saint Xavier University Finance & Financial Management Report

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Charleston, Illinois, and it awarded 26 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $12,350 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Eastern Illinois University

With a ranking of #8, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 40 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at SIUC

#9

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s finance degrees to 55 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $20,355 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Augustana

#10

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois College is a small school located in Jacksonville, Illinois that handed out 17 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also took the #22 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Illinois College

#11

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 27 diplomas to qualified ’s finance students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lewis, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis University is $12,821 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lewis Finance & Financial Management 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. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified ’s finance students in 2019-2020.

Aurora also made our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $14,103 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management 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 is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 46 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $16,903 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Elmhurst University

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. University of Saint Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 14 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,847 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

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 & Financial Management at University of St 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. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s finance students in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management 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 & Financial Management Report

#16

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois Wesleyan is a small school located in Bloomington, Illinois that handed out 19 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois Wesleyan has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan University is $18,570 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Illinois Wesleyan

#17

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 29 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,192 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lake Forest College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Lake Forest

#18

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #18, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bradley University is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 19 ’s finance degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #10 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley is $17,205 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Bradley

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 school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 38 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Institute of Technology is $17,222 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.9%, which is much lower than the national 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. 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 Tech Finance & Financial Management Report

#20

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Quincy University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Quincy, Illinois, and it awarded 17 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Quincy University is $15,292 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management at Quincy University

With a ranking of #21, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 58 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Northeastern Illinois University

#22

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dominican U is a private not-for-profit institution located in River Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Dominican U has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $17,060 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read more about Finance & Financial Management at Dominican University

#23

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 2 ’s finance degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Millikin has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $17,656 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.

Read full report on Finance & Financial Management 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 a private not-for-profit institution located in Palos Heights, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 10 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k list, Trinity Christian has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Trinity Christian is $16,611 for illinois finance students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. 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%.

Full Trinity Christian Finance & Financial Management Report

#25

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #25, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Finance Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s finance degrees to 39 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Finance & Financial Management Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,889 for Illinois Finance students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Central College.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 full report on Finance & Financial Management at North Central

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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.

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