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2027 Best General Education Schools in Illinois

10 Colleges in the United States
539 General Education Degrees Awarded
$46,772 Avg Early-Career Salary

General Education degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. While the number of schools offering the program varies, there are still top-quality ones to be found.

To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 10 schools to find the best for general education students.

What’s on this page:

Best Schools for General Education in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall general education education in Illinois.

Top Schools in General Education

1

Leading the list is University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, our #1 school for general education. This very large public university is located in the city of Champaign. Roughly 85% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign awarded about 220 general education degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $62,620. Typical student debt for the program is $20,778. See the full general education program report for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

2
Lake Forest College crest
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL

A rank of #2 makes Lake Forest College one of the top schools for general education. This small private not-for-profit university is located in the suburb of Lake Forest. Lake Forest College graduates 78% of students within six years. Lake Forest College awarded about 15 general education degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Lake Forest College generally make around $41,168. Lake Forest College graduates carry a median of $26,661 in student loans. Get the full general education details for Lake Forest College

3
Illinois College crest
Illinois College
Jacksonville, IL

A rank of #3 makes Illinois College one of the top schools for general education. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Jacksonville. Illinois College graduates 64% of students within six years. There were roughly 13 general education students who graduated with this degree at Illinois College in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general education degree from Illinois College earn around $41,184 in the first couple years of their career. Illinois College graduates carry a median of $26,922 in student loans. Get the full general education details for Illinois College

4

Students looking for a strong general education program will find one at Northern Illinois University, which ranked #4. This large public university is located in the suburb of Dekalb. Roughly 49% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 24 general education students who graduated with this degree at Northern Illinois University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general education program make about $50,338 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,209 to complete this degree. See the full general education program report for Northern Illinois University

5

A rank of #5 makes North Park University one of the top schools for general education. Located in the city of Chicago, North Park University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 58%. North Park University awarded about 50 general education degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general education program make about $57,383 in their early career. Typical student debt for the program is $27,360. More information about a degree in general education from North Park University

6

Western Illinois University ranked #6 on our 2027 list of the best general education schools. Located in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. About 45% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 25 general education students who graduated with this degree at Western Illinois University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from Western Illinois University generally make around $47,926. Students borrow a median of $27,639 to complete this degree. Read more about the general education program at Western Illinois University

7

Mckendree University earned the #7 position for general education this year. Mckendree University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lebanon. About 53% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 44 general education students who graduated with this degree at Mckendree University in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general education program make about $50,945 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $24,362 to complete this degree. Read more about the general education program at Mckendree University

8
Greenville College crest
Greenville College
Greenville, IL

Greenville College came in at #8 for general education this year. Greenville College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Greenville. Greenville College graduates 40% of students within six years. About 40 general education degrees were awarded at Greenville College in the most recent year. Graduates of the general education program make about $36,911 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,933 to complete this degree. Read more about the general education program at Greenville College

9

City Colleges Of Chicago Harry S Truman College placed #9 among the best general education schools. This large public university is located in the city of Chicago. There were roughly 94 general education students who graduated with this degree at City Colleges Of Chicago Harry S Truman College in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, general education degree recipients from City Colleges Of Chicago Harry S Truman College generally make around $27,158. Students borrow a median of $11,458 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in general education from City Colleges Of Chicago Harry S Truman College

10
Quincy University crest
Quincy University
Quincy, IL

Quincy University earned the #10 position for general education this year. Quincy University is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Quincy. Roughly 45% of students complete a degree within six years here. Quincy University awarded about 14 general education degrees in the most recent data year. General Education graduates of Quincy University earn a median of $52,088 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $26,691. Read more about the general education program at Quincy University

View All General Education Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. Schools are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and program focus, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 10 schools evaluated.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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