2026 Best Value Value Schools in Illinois
[Value](/majors/engineering/electrical-and-computer-engineering/general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong value education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 2 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for value students.
What’s on this page:
2026 Best Value Value Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the value degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Value Schools
Leading the list is Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, our #1 best value for value in Illinois. Set in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,092. Value graduates carry a median of $23,917 in student loans. Value graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median of $54,302 early in their careers. Set against $23,917 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 98% of applicants are accepted.
Notes and References
This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 2 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 1 ranked schools only.
- 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
