2026 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in Illinois
[Labor & Industrial Relations](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/human-resource-management/labor-and-industrial-relations/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value labor & industrial relations schools.
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2026 Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in labor & industrial relations, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Labor & Industrial Relations Schools
Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 best value for labor & industrial relations in Illinois. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Early-career labor & industrial relations graduates make about $89,637. That is a strong return on a $20,778 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Northwestern University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value labor & industrial relations schools. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Students borrow a median of $38,832 to complete the labor & industrial relations program here. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $78,551 early in their careers. Set against $38,832 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 8%.
Loyola University Chicago is a great value for students pursuing a degree in labor & industrial relations, landing the #3 spot this year. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $53,710 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for labor & industrial relations graduates is $23,521. Labor & Industrial Relations graduates of Loyola University Chicago earn a median of $58,568 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,521 median debt. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 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 1 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.
