by our College Data Analytics Team
When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.
In 2020-2021, 556,813 liberal arts general studies students received their degree, making the major the 1st most popular in the country. In 2019-2020, liberal arts general studies graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $28,337 and had an average of $17,430 in loans still to pay off.
Across Illinois, there were 25,747 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,957 and $14,623 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 1,059 liberal arts general studies graduates with average earnings and debt of $40,117 and $25,584 respectively.
This year’s “Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” ranking analyzed 44 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts general studies. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have one of the most popular liberal arts general studies programs in the United States.
Check out our ranking methodology for more information.
Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.
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.
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #1 for the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 167 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #2 for the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 126 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Illinois State University
Out of the 44 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in University Park, Illinois, this small public school awarded 120 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Governors State University
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northeastern Illinois University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 110 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Northeastern Illinois University
Out of the 44 schools in the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 100 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #6, DePaul University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 93 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #7. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 88 students in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Northern Illinois University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 58 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Chicago State University landed the #9 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 37 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Chicago State University
Aurora University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Aurora is a medium-sized school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 21 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 4.2%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
University of Chicago did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #11. University of Chicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 20 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 1.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Saint Xavier University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chicago, 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 17 students in 2020-2021.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Saint Xavier University
With a ranking of #13, Lake Forest College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Lake Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.3% 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 Lake Forest College Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Lincoln College ranked #14 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. This small school is located in Lincoln, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Lincoln College
With a ranking of #15, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
University of Illinois at Springfield came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Springfield, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 10 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Lewis University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Romeoville, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.
The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.0% 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 full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Lewis University
Roosevelt University landed the #17 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 8 bachelors’s degrees in 2020-2021.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Roosevelt University
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 6 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Bradley University ranked #20 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts General Studies at Bradley University
Northwestern University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #20. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 impressive undergraduate 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.
Full Northwestern University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Eureka College ranked #22 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Eureka College is a small school located in Eureka, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
Illinois Institute of Technology landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 3 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students.
Columbia College Chicago landed the #22 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to 3 students in 2020-2021.
Full Columbia College Chicago Liberal Arts General Studies Report
McKendree University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. McKendree University is located in Lebanon, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The undergrad 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 McKendree University Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Knox College landed the #25 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking. Knox College is located in Galesburg, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The impressive undergraduate 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. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Liberal Arts General Studies at Knox College
North Central College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s ranking, coming in at #25. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts students in 2020-2021.
The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at North Central
Quincy University ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Quincy U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Quincy, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #25, University of St Francis did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Joliet, 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 2 students in 2020-2021.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Full University of Saint Francis Liberal Arts General Studies Report
Monmouth College ranked #25 on this year’s Most Well Attended Liberal Arts Major in Illinois for a Bachelor’s list. Monmouth College is located in Monmouth, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 2 bachelors’s liberal arts degrees to qualified students.
The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The undergraduate 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.
Read more about our data sources and methodologies
