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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science in Illinois

24 Ranked Colleges
1,809 Degrees Awarded
$19,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,809 computer science graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking analyzed 24 colleges that offered 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.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the computer science program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Computer Science Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” list to help you make the college decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois.

Top 24 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Computer Science in Illinois

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 291 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full UIUC Computer Science Report

#2

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 53 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #9 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

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 Computer Science 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 CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 258 degrees to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students list, UIC has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

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 University of Illinois at Chicago Computer Science Report

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. SIUE is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 76 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read full report on Computer Science at SIUE

Out of the 24 schools in the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s compsci 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 Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students per year to attend UIS.

Read more about Computer Science at UIS

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 134 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Read more about Computer Science at Northern Illinois University

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 121 degrees to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at Northeastern Illinois University

#8

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Governors State University is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

GSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $12,077 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Full GSU Computer Science Report

#9

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 1 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Computer Science at Eastern Illinois University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 32 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#11

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Aurora, Illinois, and it awarded 23 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Aurora is $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students.

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 Computer Science at Aurora

#12

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Lewis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Lewis is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 98 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lewis, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students per year to attend Lewis.

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 University Computer Science Report

#13

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 30 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students per year to attend Bradley.

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

Read more about Computer Science at Bradley University

#14

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #14. Lebanon, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s compsci degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

McKendree did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $19,844 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students per year to attend McKendree.

Full McKendree Computer Science Report

#15

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 15 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #5. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

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%. 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.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Computer Science Report

#16

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #16. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 17 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students list, Dominican U has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students per year to attend Dominican U.

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 Computer Science at Dominican University

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 18 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students per year to attend Elmhurst University.

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 more about Computer Science at Elmhurst

#18

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 24 degrees to qualified bachelors’s compsci students in 2019-2020.

SXU also took the #23 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $14,528 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students.

Full Saint Xavier University Computer Science Report

#19

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #19. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt is $22,749 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Read full report on Computer Science at Roosevelt

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #20. North Central is located in Naperville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students list, North Central has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students per year to attend North Central.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Computer Science at North Central College

#21

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

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

Read more about Computer Science at Augustana College

Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Illinois Tech is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 71 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

Illinois Tech not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Tech is $22,831 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

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 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 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Computer Science at Illinois Tech

#23

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

University of Chicago landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s compsci degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $27,315 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree CompSci students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Chicago Computer Science Report

#23

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Northwestern University landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value CompSci Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 94 bachelors’s compsci degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Computer Science Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $24,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree compsci students 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%. 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%.

Read more about Computer Science at Northwestern

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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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