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

26 Ranked Colleges
3,177 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. 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 Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2019-2020, 53,722 people earned their degree in computer science, making the major the 11th most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 3,177 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 26 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in computer science. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality computer science programs that also have a lower cost than 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 computer science program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Computer Science Schools

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

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

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

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for Computer Science (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 Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 183 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for Illinois Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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.

Full Northwestern University Computer Science Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. UChicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 264 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $2,712 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Chicago Computer Science Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 723 ’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Illinois Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Computer Science Report

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 361 students in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $10,648 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIC.

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 UIC Computer Science Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 81 ’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for Illinois Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUE Computer Science Report

#6

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Lewis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Romeoville, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 133 students in 2019-2020.

Lewis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis University is $12,821 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Computer Science at Lewis University

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 228 ’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $9,771 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Computer Science at UIS

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #8, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 199 ’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Read more about Computer Science at NIU

#9

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Governors State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, GSU has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $10,872 for Illinois Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Computer Science at Governors State University

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois State University is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 53 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $14,470 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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 full report on Computer Science at Illinois State

#11

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s computer science degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,440 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Computer Science at Wheaton College Illinois

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 56 ’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Read more about Computer Science at SIUC

#13

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. SXU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 24 ’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $11,266 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Computer Science at Saint Xavier University

#14

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, EIU has also earned the #22 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Illinois Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Computer Science Report

#15

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Aurora is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 23 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Aurora has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,103 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Aurora.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Aurora Computer Science Report

#16

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 18 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $16,903 for illinois computer science 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 Computer Science at Elmhurst

#17

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 22 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,355 for Illinois Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana College.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Computer Science at Augustana

#18

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 44 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

Bradley also took the #10 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $17,205 for Illinois Computer Science students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Full Bradley University Computer Science Report

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #19 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Institute of Technology is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 263 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech also took the #7 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $17,222 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on Computer Science at Illinois Tech

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 147 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Computer Science at Northeastern Illinois University

#21

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 17 degrees to qualified ’s computer science students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $17,060 for illinois computer science 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 full report on Computer Science at Dominican University

#22

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Lebanon, Illinois, and it awarded 9 ’s computer science degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k list, McKendree has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree University is $15,184 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full McKendree Computer Science Report

#23

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $18,889 for illinois computer science 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%.

Full North Central College Computer Science Report

#24

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 36 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $20,398 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Roosevelt Computer Science Report

#25

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Computer Science Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 2 ’s computer science degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $26,173 for illinois computer science students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DePaul University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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%.

Full DePaul Computer Science Report

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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