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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in Illinois (With Aid)

15 Ranked Colleges
1,158 Degrees Awarded
$18,300 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. 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 Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 3rd of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 559,661 degrees were awarded to students with this major. 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 Getting Aid” ranking looked at 15 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in liberal arts / sciences and humanities. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

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 Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important 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 / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 15 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities in Illinois (With Aid)

#1

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 108 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

GSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #9 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Governors State University is $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Governors State University

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIS is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIS did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at UIS

#3

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 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. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Eastern Illinois University

#4

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Out of the 15 schools in the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Western Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. This medium-sized school is located in Macomb, Illinois, and it awarded 169 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Western Illinois University

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern 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 Getting Aid. Northern Illinois University is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at NIU

#6

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 36 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

CSU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #15 on our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend CSU is $11,733 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

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.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at CSU

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Saint Xavier University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 24 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $14,528 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Full Saint Xavier University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#11 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 158 degrees to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

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 $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#9

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

University of St Francis did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. University of Saint Francis is a small school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

University of Saint Francis also made our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #7. The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at University of St Francis

#12 in overall quality

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 Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #10. 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.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#11

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 144 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also took the #3 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid.

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 / Sciences & Humanities at Illinois State

#12

Lincoln College

Lincoln, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Lincoln College 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 Getting Aid ranking. Lincoln College is a small school located in Lincoln, Illinois that handed out 10 bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lincoln College, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,797 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid per year to attend Lincoln College.

Full Lincoln College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#13

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #13. 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 University of Chicago is $27,315 for illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low 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%.

Full University of Chicago Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#14

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 8 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s liberal arts / sciences and humanities students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, North Central has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend North Central.

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%.

Full North Central College Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Report

#15

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. DePaul University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 141 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree liberal arts / sciences & humanities students with aid list, DePaul has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities students with aid per year to attend DePaul University.

The low student loan default rate of 4.5% 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 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.

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