2027 Best Value English Schools in Illinois
[English](/majors/english-language-literature/general-english-language-literature/english/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong english education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 20 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for english students.
What’s on this page:
2027 Best Value English Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the english degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value English Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Illinois At Chicago the best value for a degree in english in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,949, compared with $32,009 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $18,750 to complete the english program here. Early-career english graduates make about $31,066. Set against $18,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Illinois At Chicago admits about 77% of applicants.
A rank of #2 makes Dominican University one of the best values for english. Set in the suburb of River Forest, Dominican University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $38,828 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,236 to complete the english program here. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Dominican University generally make around $45,546. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 90% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in english will find it at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign, which ranked #3. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Students borrow a median of $20,961 to complete the english program here. English graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $37,031 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Illinois At Springfield came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Set in the city of Springfield, University Of Illinois At Springfield is a moderately-sized public institution. Students from in state pay about $12,557 in tuition and fees, with out-of-state students paying around $20,139. Students borrow a median of $32,574 to complete the english program here. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Springfield generally make around $39,358. That is a strong return on a $32,574 median debt. University Of Illinois At Springfield admits about 86% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Eastern Illinois University one of the best values for english. Located in the town of Charleston, Eastern Illinois University is a large public university. Students from in state pay about $13,377 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $15,859. Typical student debt for english graduates is $25,053. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Eastern Illinois University generally make around $31,933. Set against $25,053 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 65% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Chicago came in at #6 for value in english this year. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $69,324. English graduates carry a median of $15,854 in student loans. Early-career english graduates make about $44,397. Set against $15,854 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 4%.
Western Illinois University came in at #7 for value in english this year. Set in the town of Macomb, Western Illinois University is a moderately-sized public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,572. English graduates carry a median of $23,750 in student loans. English graduates of Western Illinois University earn a median of $36,430 early in their careers. Set against $23,750 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Western Illinois University admits about 71% of applicants.
Northeastern Illinois University came in at #8 for value in english this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public institution. In-state tuition and fees average $12,383, with out-of-state students paying around $22,726. Typical student debt for english graduates is $19,000. Early-career english graduates make about $36,594. Set against $19,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Northeastern Illinois University admits about 75% of applicants.
Northern Illinois University earned the #9 position for value in english this year. Northern Illinois University is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. In-state tuition and fees average $13,060. Typical student debt for english graduates is $25,375. English graduates of Northern Illinois University earn a median of $38,938 early in their careers. Set against $25,375 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 70%.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #10 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $12,092. Students borrow a median of $25,250 to complete the english program here. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Edwardsville generally make around $31,420. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 98%.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #11 spot for english value this year. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,334. Typical student debt for english graduates is $26,500. Early-career english graduates make about $24,145. That is a strong return on a $26,500 median debt. Southern Illinois University Carbondale admits about 87% of applicants.
Aurora University earned the #12 position for value in english this year. Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $29,170 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $24,507 to complete the english program here. English graduates of Aurora University earn a median of $51,483 early in their careers. Set against $24,507 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 81% of applicants are accepted.
Illinois State University ranked #13 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $14,410 in tuition and fees, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for english graduates is $23,125. English graduates of Illinois State University earn a median of $39,563 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,125 median debt. The acceptance rate is 88%.
Elmhurst College came in at #14 for value in english this year. Set in the suburb of Elmhurst, Elmhurst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $42,955. English graduates carry a median of $19,500 in student loans. Early-career english graduates make about $33,947. Set against $19,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Elmhurst College admits about 74% of applicants.
Columbia College Chicago landed the #15 spot for english value this year. Columbia College Chicago is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $34,088 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $26,557 to complete the english program here. Early-career english graduates make about $29,160. Set against $26,557 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 90%.
Wheaton College Illinois earned the #16 position for value in english this year. Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton. Students from in state pay about $45,546 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $21,500 to complete the english program here. English graduates of Wheaton College Illinois earn a median of $32,723 early in their careers. Set against $21,500 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 87%.
Lake Forest College ranked #17 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lake Forest. In-state tuition and fees average $56,402. Typical student debt for english graduates is $23,250. Early-career english graduates make about $32,982. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 57%.
Northwestern University ranked #18 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Typical student debt for english graduates is $15,564. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Northwestern University generally make around $31,748. Set against $15,564 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 8% of applicants are accepted.
Depaul University ranked #19 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Students borrow a median of $23,499 to complete the english program here. English graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $28,660 early in their careers. Set against $23,499 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 76% of applicants are accepted.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #20 on our 2027 list of the best value english schools. Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. Students borrow a median of $26,000 to complete the english program here. Soon after graduation, english degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $28,640. That is a strong return on a $26,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 20 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 20 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.
