2027 Best Value Rhetoric & Composition Schools in Illinois

[Rhetoric & Composition](/majors/english-language-literature/writing-studies/rhetoric-and-composition/) is a field worth comparing on the balance of cost and outcomes. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.
College Factual analyzed 3 schools to build this 2027 ranking of the best value rhetoric & composition schools.
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2027 Best Value Rhetoric & Composition Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the rhetoric & composition degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Rhetoric & Composition Schools
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign tops our 2027 list of the best value rhetoric & composition schools in Illinois. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Rhetoric & Composition graduates carry a median of $23,250 in student loans. Rhetoric & Composition graduates of University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn a median of $24,225 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $23,250 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in rhetoric & composition will find it at Elmhurst College, which ranked #2. Elmhurst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Elmhurst. In-state tuition and fees average $42,955. Students borrow a median of $23,250 to complete the rhetoric & composition program here. Soon after graduation, rhetoric & composition degree recipients from Elmhurst College generally make around $33,556. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 74% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Depaul University earned it the #3 place for rhetoric & composition. Set in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,405. Students borrow a median of $25,340 to complete the rhetoric & composition program here. Rhetoric & Composition graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $49,334 early in their careers. Set against $25,340 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
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Notes and References
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 3 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 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.