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2022 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

16 Ranked Colleges
423 Degrees Awarded
Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

General Education is the 28th most popular major in the country with 29,936 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

Across Illinois, there were 423 general education graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking analyzed 16 colleges that offered a degree in general education. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general education programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the general education program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The general education 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 General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k”.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Top 16 Best Value Colleges for General Education (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

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 #1 for the Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 197 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,351 for Illinois General Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Read more about General Education at UIUC

#2

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Saint Xavier University. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 2 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $14,907 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Education at SXU

#3

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Lake Forest College. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. Lake Forest College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lake Forest, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lake Forest, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Lake Forest College is $24,683 for Illinois General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 General Education at Lake Forest

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 16 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also took the #9 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,346 for Illinois General Education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend NIU.

Read more about General Education at Northern Illinois University

#5

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Out of the 16 schools in the Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. WIU is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 14 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also took the #5 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $15,912 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend WIU.

Read full report on General Education at Western Illinois University

#6

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #6, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 ’s general education degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $19,703 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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 Elmhurst University General Education Report

#7

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Quincy University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Quincy, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 20 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2019-2020.

Quincy U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Quincy U is $16,717 for Illinois General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Education at Quincy University

#8

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 12 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Concordia University, Chicago also made our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $17,295 for Illinois General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Education at Concordia University, Chicago

#9

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $14,942 for Illinois General Education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on General Education at Illinois College

#10

Greenville University

Greenville, Illinois

Greenville University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in Greenville, Illinois, and it awarded 6 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Greenville, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,340 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Greenville University.

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 General Education at Greenville

#11

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. McKendree University is a small school located in Lebanon, Illinois that handed out 37 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree is $19,851 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about General Education at McKendree University

#12

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois

North Park University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 diplomas to qualified ’s general education students in 2019-2020.

North Park also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Park University is $18,813 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read more about General Education at North Park University

#13

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 3 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k list, Trinity Christian has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Trinity Christian College is $20,888 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. 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 more about General Education at Trinity Christian College

#14

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s general education degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,870 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Roosevelt.

Read more about General Education at Roosevelt

#15

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Bloomington, Illinois, and it awarded 2 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also made our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $23,309 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois Wesleyan University.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Education at Illinois Wesleyan

#16

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois

Rockford University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Education Schools in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #16. Rockford is a small school located in Rockford, Illinois that handed out 11 ’s general education degrees in 2019-2020.

Rockford did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best General Education Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rockford is $19,975 for illinois general education students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read more about General Education at Rockford

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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to KOKUYO.

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