2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual was founded, in part, to help students make the decision as to what would be the best school for them. Our “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.
With 559,661 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, liberal arts / sciences and humanities is the 3rd most popular major in the United States. In 2017-2018, liberal arts / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities 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 / sciences and humanities graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.
This year’s “Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 15 colleges that offered a degree in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.
Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the liberal arts / sciences and humanities program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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More Ways to Rank Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities 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 / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our tool, College Combat. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k
The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.
Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 19 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,712 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UChicago
Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Governors State University landed the #2 spot on the list. GSU is a small public school situated in University Park, Illinois. It awarded 108 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at GSU, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $10,872 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GSU.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northern Illinois University. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 61 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, NIU has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for NIU is $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at NIU
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 123 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $12,350 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend EIU.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Western Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 169 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, WIU has also earned the #4 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Western Illinois University.
University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Springfield is $9,771 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full University of Illinois at Springfield Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
With a ranking of #7, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 144 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,470 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Illinois State
With a ranking of #8, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SXU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 24 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
SXU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Saint Xavier University is $11,266 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Saint Xavier University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 54 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at SIUC
University of St Francis landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. 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.
University of Saint Francis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of St Francis is $15,847 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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 / Sciences & Humanities at University of St Francis
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 158 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.
Northeastern Illinois University also took the #11 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Northeastern Illinois University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
Chicago State University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to 36 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at CSU, the school also landed the #15 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $11,507 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSU.
The 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.
With a ranking of #13, Lincoln College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Lincoln, Illinois, and it awarded 10 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k list, Lincoln College has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lincoln College is $20,845 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
Full Lincoln College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report
North Central College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 8 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.
North Central also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #10. The estimated yearly cost for North Central is $18,889 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
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 more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at North Central
DePaul University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 141 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.
DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend DePaul University is $26,173 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students whose families make $0-$30k.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at DePaul
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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.
Credits
- Credit for the banner image above goes to Jacques Sablet (Switzerland, Morges, 1749-1803).
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