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2022 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

22 Ranked Colleges
942 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. College Factual has developed its “Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

History is the 30th most popular major in the country with 32,905 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, history graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,593 and had an average of $23,490 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 942 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $28,667 and $22,107 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 22 colleges that offer a degree in history. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent history programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the history program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank History Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 22 Best Value Colleges for History (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 57 ’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read more about History at Northwestern University

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 98 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 100%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at University of Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school awarded 105 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.4% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read more about History at UIUC

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 52 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #14 spot in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $8,055 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on History at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school awarded 36 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at UIC

#6

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 108 ’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also took the #4 spot in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,470 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois State.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Illinois State History Report

With a ranking of #7, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 25 ’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $9,771 for illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full UIS History Report

#8

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 47 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,281 for illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Read full report on History at NIU

#9

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 22 ’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #16 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $12,350 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about History at Eastern Illinois University

With a ranking of #10, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 26 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,658 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on History at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#11

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Aurora University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Aurora, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 17 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Aurora also took the #11 spot in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Aurora University is $14,103 for illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Aurora University History Report

#12

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Wheaton, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k list, Wheaton College Illinois has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about History at Wheaton College Illinois

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $13,942 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Western Illinois University History Report

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 9 ’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also took the #20 spot in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about History at Illinois College

#15

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Monmouth, Illinois, and it awarded 10 ’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Monmouth did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,231 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Monmouth College.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Full Monmouth College History Report

#16

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois

With a ranking of #16, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Knox College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Galesburg, Illinois. It awarded 16 ’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Knox not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,828 for illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Knox College.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Full Knox College History Report

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 14 degrees to qualified ’s history students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $16,903 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read more about History at Elmhurst

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s history degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northeastern Illinois University, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about History at Northeastern Illinois University

#19

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 18 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2019-2020.

North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best History Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Central is $18,889 for illinois history students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%.

Read full report on History at North Central

#20

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 8 ’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Roosevelt, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,398 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Roosevelt.

Read full report on History at Roosevelt

#21

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

Loyola University Chicago ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 73 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Loyola Chicago, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola Chicago is $29,440 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Loyola Chicago History Report

#22

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school handed out 25 diplomas to qualified ’s history students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at DePaul, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best History Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $26,173 for Illinois History students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend DePaul.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at DePaul University

Notes and References

References

  • 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).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

Read more about our data sources and methodologies

Footnotes

  • *Average salary, average net price, and average tuition and fees are for the top schools only.
  • Some schools otherwise deserving of recognition may have been removed from this ranking in the event that new data identified post-publication warranted it, or at the request of the school.

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