2024 Best Liberal Arts Schools in Illinois
50
Colleges in Illinois
22,500
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Ranked #2 in popularity,
liberal arts is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. So, there are lots of possibilities to explore when you're trying to determine where you want to get your degree.
For its 2024 ranking, College Factual looked at 50 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for liberal arts students pursuing a degree. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 22,500 degrees in liberal arts during the 2020-2021 academic year.
What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings
Choosing a Great Liberal Arts School
Your choice of liberal arts school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. For our Best Overall Liberal Arts School rankings, we roll up the results of our degree-level rankings, weighted by the number of degrees awarded at that level.
In order to find the schools that are the best fit for you, you may want to filter to one of the degree levels below.
Pick Your Liberal Arts Degree Level
The liberal studies 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 the Best Liberal Arts Schools in Illinois.
More interested in schools in a specific area of the country? Filter this list by region or state.
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.
Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.
Read more about College Factual's methodology.
Best Schools for Liberal Arts in Illinois
If you aren't interested in a particular degree level and want to know which schools are the overall best at delivering an education for the liberal studies degrees they offer, see the list below.
10 Top Illinois Schools in Liberal Studies
Any student who is interested in liberal arts needs to take a look at University of Chicago. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.
There were roughly 19 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from University of Chicago
Western Illinois University is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in liberal arts. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #880 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means WIU is a great university overall.
There were approximately 21 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Western Illinois University
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
4th
Most Popular In IL
1,446
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
College of Lake County is a wonderful decision for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts. Located in the large suburb of Grayslake, College of Lake County is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #247 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means College of Lake County is a great college overall.
There were roughly 1446 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at College of Lake County in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from College of Lake County
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
1st
Most Popular In IL
1,774
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
William Rainey Harper College is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in liberal arts. Located in the suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a public college with a fairly large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #512 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harper College is a great college overall.
There were approximately 1774 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Harper College in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from William Rainey Harper College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
3rd
Most Popular In IL
1,448
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College is one of the best schools in the United States for getting a degree in liberal arts. Harold Washington College is a medium-sized public college located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #761 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harold Washington College is a great college overall.
There were about 1448 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Harold Washington College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College
Bachelor's Degree
Highest Degree Type
60th
Most Popular In IL
Illinois State is a very large public university located in the suburb of Normal. A Best Colleges rank of #231 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Illinois State is a great university overall.
There were roughly 15 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Illinois State University
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
6th
Most Popular In IL
931
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
ECC is a medium-sized public college located in the city of Elgin. A Best Colleges rank of #666 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ECC is a great college overall.
There were roughly 931 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at ECC in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Elgin Community College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
14th
Most Popular In IL
449
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Waubonsee is a moderately-sized public college located in the rural area of Sugar Grove. This college ranks 45th out of 85 schools for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were about 449 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Waubonsee in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from Waubonsee Community College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
51st
Most Popular In IL
140
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Olive-Harvey College is a small public college located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #679 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Olive-Harvey College is a great college overall.
There were roughly 140 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at Olive-Harvey College in the most recent data year.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from City Colleges of Chicago - Olive-Harvey College
Associate Degree
Highest Degree Type
16th
Most Popular In IL
810
Liberal Studies Degrees Awarded
Located in the rural area of Crystal Lake, MCC is a public college with a medium-sized student population. This college ranks 53rd out of 85 colleges for overall quality in the state of Illinois.
There were approximately 810 liberal arts students who graduated with this degree at MCC in the most recent year we have data available.
More information about a degree in liberal arts from McHenry County College
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