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2024 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Illinois

54 Colleges in Illinois
25,747 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,957 Avg Early-Career Salary
Ranked #1 in popularity, liberal arts general studies is one of the most sought-after degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual reviewed 54 schools in Illinois to determine which ones were the best for degree seekers in the field of liberal arts general studies. Combined, these schools handed out 25,747 degrees in liberal arts general studies to qualified students.

What's on this page: * Degree-Level Rankings

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts General Studies School

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Illinois Your choice of liberal arts general studies school matters, so we have put together these rankings to help you make your decision. In order to come up with a best overall ranking for liberal arts general studies schools, we combine our degree-level rankings, weighting them by the number of degrees awarded at each 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.

Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings by Degree Level

Associate Degrees in Liberal Arts
Bachelor's Degrees in Liberal Arts
Master's Degrees in Liberal Arts

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we've developed the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Illinois ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision. You can also filter this list by location to find schools closer to you.

In addition to College Factual's rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don't forget it.

More information on how we come up with our rankings can be found here: College Factual's Data Methodology.


 

Best Schools for Liberal Arts General Studies in Illinois

The schools below may not offer all types of liberal arts 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 Liberal Arts

1
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
157 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$38,069 Median Starting Salary

University of Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in liberal arts general studies. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit university located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #2 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means UChicago is a great university overall.

There were approximately 157 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at UChicago in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts General Studies degree recipients from University of Chicago get an earnings boost of approximately $10,111 above the average income of liberal arts general studies graduates.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from University of Chicago

2
DePaul crest
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
126 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$56,709 Median Starting Salary

DePaul University is a wonderful choice for students interested in a degree in liberal arts general studies. DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit university located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #203 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means DePaul is a great university overall.

There were roughly 126 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at DePaul in the most recent data year. Those liberal arts general studies students who get their degree from DePaul University make $28,751 more than the typical liberal arts graduate.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from DePaul University

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,475 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$27,907 Median Starting Salary

College of Lake County is one of the finest schools in the United States for getting a degree in liberal arts general studies. 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 schools nationwide means College of Lake County is a great college overall.

There were about 1475 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at College of Lake County in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts program report average early career wages of $27,907.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from College of Lake County

4
Master's Degree Highest Degree Type
169 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$36,956 Median Starting Salary

It is hard to beat Western Illinois University if you want to pursue a degree in liberal arts general studies. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public university with a moderately-sized student population. A Best Colleges rank of #880 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means WIU is a great university overall.

There were roughly 169 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at WIU in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts General Studies degree recipients from Western Illinois University receive an earnings boost of about $8,999 above the typical earnings of liberal arts general studies majors.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Western Illinois University

5
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,873 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
6.7% Growth in Graduates

Located in the large suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a public college with a large student population. A Best Colleges rank of #512 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Harper College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 1873 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Harper College in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts program state that they receive average early career earnings of $26,090.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from William Rainey Harper College

6
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
1,599 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
3.6% Growth in Graduates

Harold Washington College is a moderately-sized public college located in the large city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #761 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means Harold Washington College is a great college overall.

There were roughly 1599 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Harold Washington College in the most recent data year. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts program state that they receive average early career wages of $26,255.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College

7
Bachelor's Degree Highest Degree Type
126 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$32,380 Median Starting Salary

Illinois State is a fairly large public university located in the midsize 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 approximately 126 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Illinois State in the most recent data year. Liberal Arts General Studies degree recipients from Illinois State University receive an earnings boost of about $4,423 above the average income of liberal arts general studies majors.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Illinois State University

8
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
931 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$26,806 Median Starting Salary

ECC is a moderately-sized public college located in the midsize city of Elgin. A Best Colleges rank of #666 out of 2,217 schools nationwide means ECC is a great college overall.

There were about 931 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at ECC in the most recent year we have data available. Students who receive their degree from the liberal arts program earn an average of $26,806 in their early career salary.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Elgin Community College

9
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
505 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$22,597 Median Starting Salary

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 roughly 505 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Waubonsee in the most recent year we have data available. Students who graduate with their degree from the liberal arts program report average early career earnings of $22,597.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from Waubonsee Community College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
170 Liberal Arts Degrees Awarded
$24,892 Median Starting Salary

Olive-Harvey College is a small public college located in the city of Chicago. A Best Colleges rank of #679 out of 2,217 colleges nationwide means Olive-Harvey College is a great college overall.

There were approximately 170 liberal arts general studies students who graduated with this degree at Olive-Harvey College in the most recent year we have data available. Graduates who receive their degree from the liberal arts program earn an average of $24,892 in the first couple years of their career.

More information about a degree in liberal arts general studies from City Colleges of Chicago - Olive-Harvey College

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Michigan 322 9,705
Ohio 314 11,432
Indiana 294 3,773
Wisconsin 273 2,375

View All Rankings >

One of 0 majors within the Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities area of study, Liberal Arts General Studies has other similar majors worth exploring.

Liberal Arts Concentrations

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts 22,500
General Studies 2,929
Individualized Studies 190
Humanities 128

View All Liberal Arts Focus Areas >

Notes and References

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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