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2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

15 Ranked Colleges
1,158 Degrees Awarded
$31,979 Avg Salary
Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking.

With 559,661 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies is the 1st most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $26,786 and had an average of $16,538 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 27,169 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $26,138 and $14,095 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,158 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking, we looked at 15 colleges that offer a degree in liberal arts general studies. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts general studies programs that also have a lower cost than 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 liberal arts general studies program at the school. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts General Studies Schools

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons 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 Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts General Studies (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

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 #1 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. UChicago is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #1 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $7,934 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 0.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at UChicago

#2

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #2 spot on the list. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 123 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, EIU has also earned the #5 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,560 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Eastern Illinois University

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS also took the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $11,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at UIS

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $18,346 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Northern Illinois University Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#5

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #5 spot on the list. This small school is located in University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, GSU has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $11,872 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Governors State University

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 169 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $15,912 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at WIU

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #7. Saint Xavier University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 24 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $14,907 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at SXU

#8

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. University of Saint Francis is a private not-for-profit institution located in Joliet, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at University of Saint Francis, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,220 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend University of St Francis.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.3%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Saint Francis Liberal Arts General Studies Report

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 54 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,985 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at SIUC

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 144 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts students whose families make $48-$75k list, Illinois State has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $19,080 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Liberal Arts General Studies at Illinois State

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 158 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. It costs about $18,180 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Northeastern Illinois University

#12

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Chicago State University is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 36 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

CSU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for CSU is $10,023 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full CSU Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#13

Lincoln College

Lincoln, Illinois

Lincoln College came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. This small school is located in Lincoln, Illinois, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2019-2020.

Lincoln College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lincoln College is $22,467 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Lincoln College

#14

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 141 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.

DePaul also took the #2 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend DePaul is $28,075 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Full DePaul Liberal Arts General Studies Report

#15

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

North Central College came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $23,353 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at North Central College

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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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