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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History in Illinois (With Aid)

22 Ranked Colleges
820 Degrees Awarded
$20,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

In 2019-2020, 32,905 people earned their degree in history, making the major the 22nd most popular in the United States. 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 820 history graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 22 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in history. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great history programs and 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

The history school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

Top 22 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for History in Illinois (With Aid)

#3 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #1 spot on the list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 87 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign History Report

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 21 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $12,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Springfield.

Read full report on History at University of Illinois at Springfield

#7 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #3 spot on the list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 32 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #7 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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%.

Read full report on History at University of Illinois at Chicago

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Out of the 22 schools in the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. NIU is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 39 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

Read full report on History at Northern Illinois University

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Eastern Illinois University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 20 students in 2019-2020.

EIU also took the #15 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

Read full report on History at EIU

#14 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 49 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #14 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

Full SIUE History Report

#7

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 97 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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%.

Full Illinois State History Report

#8

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern is a large school located in Evanston, Illinois that handed out 48 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on History at Northwestern

#9

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

Full Western Illinois University History Report

#17 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

Read more about History at SIUC

#11

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Aurora University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Aurora University is located in Aurora, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Aurora, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend Aurora University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at Aurora

#21 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #21 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

Full Northeastern Illinois University History Report

#13

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Monmouth College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Monmouth, Illinois, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, Monmouth has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth College is $17,061 for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

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 History Report

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

Illinois College came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Jacksonville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s history degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also took the #20 spot in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,562 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend Illinois College.

Read full report on History at Illinois College

#15

Knox College

Galesburg, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #15, Knox College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Knox College is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s history degrees to qualified students.

Knox not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $22,292 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend Knox.

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%. The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 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 Knox

#16

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 72 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #1. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $27,315 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at University of Chicago

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Elmhurst

#18

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #6 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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 impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on History at Wheaton College Illinois

#19

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

North Central College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. North Central is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 18 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend North Central.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central History Report

#20

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Roosevelt University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Roosevelt University is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s history degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid per year to attend Roosevelt.

Read full report on History at Roosevelt University

#21

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #21. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 20 bachelors’s history degrees 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 Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $30,090 for illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about History at DePaul

#22

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Loyola University Chicago ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value History Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 58 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s history students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree history students with aid list, Loyola Chicago has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best History Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Loyola University Chicago is $35,407 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree History students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Loyola University Chicago History Report

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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