2027 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in Illinois
[Ethnic Studies](/majors/ethnic-cultural-gender-studies/ethnic-studies/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong ethnic studies education at a price that pays off.
To produce this 2027 ranking, College Factual evaluated 7 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for ethnic studies students.
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2027 Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in ethnic studies, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Ethnic Studies Schools
Our analysis ranked University Of Illinois At Chicago the best value for a degree in ethnic studies in Illinois. Set in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $15,949 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $32,009. Students borrow a median of $19,448 to complete the ethnic studies program here. Early-career ethnic studies graduates make about $33,366. That is a strong return on a $19,448 median debt. The acceptance rate is 77%.
Students looking for strong value in ethnic studies will find it at University Of Chicago, which ranked #2. University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $69,324 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for ethnic studies graduates is $15,854. Early-career ethnic studies graduates make about $81,002. Set against $15,854 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 4% of applicants are accepted.
Students looking for strong value in ethnic studies 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. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $18,267, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Ethnic Studies graduates carry a median of $23,402 in student loans. Early-career ethnic studies graduates make about $32,856. That is a strong return on a $23,402 median debt. The acceptance rate is 42%.
Students looking for strong value in ethnic studies will find it at Illinois State University, which ranked #4. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State University is a very large public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $14,410, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $21,896 to complete the ethnic studies program here. Early-career ethnic studies graduates make about $49,660. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 88% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northeastern Illinois University earned it the #5 place for ethnic studies. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,383, while out-of-state students pay about $22,726. Ethnic Studies graduates carry a median of $30,614 in student loans. Ethnic Studies graduates of Northeastern Illinois University earn a median of $49,254 early in their careers. Set against $30,614 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Northeastern Illinois University admits about 75% of applicants.
Northwestern University earned the #6 position for value in ethnic studies this year. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $68,322. Ethnic Studies graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans. Ethnic Studies graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $39,012 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
Depaul University ranked #7 on our 2027 list of the best value ethnic studies schools. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,405. Ethnic Studies graduates carry a median of $27,000 in student loans. Early-career ethnic studies graduates make about $18,029. Set against $27,000 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 76%.
More Ethnic Studies Rankings
View All Ethnic Studies Rankings >
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 · 7 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 7 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.
