2024 Best General Studies Schools in Illinois
37
Colleges in Illinois
2,929
General Studies Degrees Awarded
General Studies is of the hottest degree programs in the United States, coming in as the #5 most popular major in the country. This means there are lots of options to choose from when you decide to get your degree.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 37 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for general studies students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 2,929 degrees in general studies during the 2020-2021 academic year.
Jump to one of the following sections: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great General Studies School
The general studies program you select can have a big impact on your future. That's why we developed our collection of Best Schools for General Studies rankings. For our Best Overall General Studies School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
You may want to choose one of the degree levels below to find the schools of most interest to you.
Pick Your General Studies Degree Level
Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we've developed a number of rankings, including this Best General Studies Schools in Illinois list, to help you choose the best school for you.
If you'd like to restrict your choices to just one part of the country, you can filter this list by location.
In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat.
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.
If you want to learn more about how we derive our rankings, see College Factual's Methodology.
Best Schools for General Studies in Illinois
The schools below may not offer all types of general studies degrees so you may want to filter by degree level first. However, they are great for the degree levels they do offer.
10 Top Illinois Schools in General Studies
Master's Degree
Highest Degree Type
36th
Most Popular In IL
Any student pursuing a degree in general studies has to take a look at University of Chicago. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit university with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.
There were roughly 12 general studies students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from University of Chicago
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
12th
Most Popular In IL
93
General Studies Degrees Awarded
It's difficult to beat DePaul University if you wish to pursue a degree in general studies. Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit university with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.
There were approximately 93 general studies students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from DePaul University
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
27th
Most Popular In IL
It's difficult to beat College of Lake County if you want to pursue a degree in general studies. College of Lake County is a fairly large public college located in the suburb of Grayslake. A Best Colleges rank of #247 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means College of Lake County is a great college overall.
There were about 29 general studies students who graduated with this degree at College of Lake County in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from College of Lake County
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
11th
Most Popular In IL
99
General Studies Degrees Awarded
William Rainey Harper College is a good choice for students pursuing a degree in general studies. Harper College is a large public college located in the large suburb of Palatine. A Best Colleges rank of #512 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harper College is a great college overall.
There were roughly 99 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Harper College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from William Rainey Harper College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
5th
Most Popular In IL
151
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the large city of Chicago, Harold Washington College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #761 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harold Washington College is a great college overall.
There were roughly 151 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Harold Washington College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
10th
Most Popular In IL
111
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public university with a very large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 111 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from Illinois State University
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
16th
Most Popular In IL
56
General Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the rural area of Sugar Grove, Waubonsee is a public college with a medium-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #1048 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Waubonsee is a great college overall.
There were about 56 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Waubonsee in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from Waubonsee Community College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
26th
Most Popular In IL
Located in the city of Chicago, Olive-Harvey College is a public college with a small student population. A Best Colleges rank of #679 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Olive-Harvey College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 30 general studies students who graduated with this degree at Olive-Harvey College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in general studies from City Colleges of Chicago - Olive-Harvey College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
25th
Most Popular In IL
31
General Studies Degrees Awarded
MCC is a moderately-sized public college located in the rural area of Crystal Lake. This college ranks 53rd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 31 general studies students who graduated with this degree at MCC in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from McHenry County College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
9th
Most Popular In IL
114
General Studies Degrees Awarded
COD is a very large public college located in the large suburb of Glen Ellyn. A Best Colleges rank of #778 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means COD is a great college overall.
There were roughly 114 general studies students who graduated with this degree at COD in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in general studies from College of DuPage
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