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

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

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

Computer Science is the 19th most popular major in the country with 53,722 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, computer science graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $66,561 and had an average of $23,565 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 3,177 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $69,479 and $23,722 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 26 colleges that offer a degree 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. 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 CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value CompSci 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 CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 183 ’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $1,866 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern.

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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Computer Science at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 264 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $2,712 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.

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 low student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Computer Science at UChicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 723 ’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $5,477 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.

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

Out of the 26 schools in the Best Value CompSci 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. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 361 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $10,648 for illinois compsci 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 more about Computer Science at University of Illinois at Chicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 81 ’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $8,055 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read more about Computer Science at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#6

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lewis is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 133 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

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 compsci 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 Computer Science Report

University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 228 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois compsci students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIS has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $9,771 for illinois compsci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIS.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Computer Science Report

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 199 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois compsci students whose families make $0-$30k list, NIU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for illinois compsci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Computer Science at Northern Illinois University

#9

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. GSU is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 74 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU also took the #24 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend GSU is $10,872 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Governors State University Computer Science Report

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 53 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,470 for Illinois CompSci 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 full report on Computer Science at Illinois State

#11

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for Illinois CompSci 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%.

Read full report on Computer Science at Wheaton College Illinois

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 56 ’s compsci 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 Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUC Computer Science Report

#13

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #13. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s compsci degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

SXU also took the #25 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,266 for illinois compsci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SXU.

Read more about Computer Science at SXU

#14

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci 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 compsci degrees to qualified students.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Computer Science at EIU

#15

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

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

Aurora also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $14,103 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 University Computer Science Report

#16

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 18 diplomas to qualified ’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois compsci students whose families make $0-$30k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,903 for illinois compsci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst.

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%.

Full Elmhurst Computer Science Report

#17

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Augustana College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rock Island, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 22 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,355 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana College.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. 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 Computer Science Report

#18

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bradley University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 44 ’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,205 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on Computer Science at Bradley

Illinois Institute of Technology came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Illinois Institute of Technology is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 263 ’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,222 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Institute of Technology.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois Tech Computer Science Report

With a ranking of #20, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 147 ’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #23 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,816 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Computer Science Report

#21

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Dominican University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 17 ’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $17,060 for Illinois CompSci 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.

Read full report on Computer Science at Dominican U

#22

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. McKendree is a small school located in Lebanon, Illinois that handed out 9 ’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $15,184 for illinois compsci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend McKendree.

Full McKendree University Computer Science Report

#23

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Central 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,889 for illinois compsci students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend North Central.

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 Computer Science at North Central

#24

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Roosevelt is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 36 ’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

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

Full Roosevelt University Computer Science Report

#25

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also made our “Best Computer Science Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $26,173 for Illinois CompSci students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Science at DePaul University

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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