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2026 Best Value Value Schools in Illinois

[Value](/majors/protective-security-safety-services/criminal-justice-and-corrections/general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The best values balance affordable tuition against strong post-graduation earnings.

For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 4 schools to find the best return on investment for value students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Value Value Schools in Illinois

2026 Best Value Value Schools in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in value, balancing cost against outcomes.

Best Value Value Schools

1

Eureka College
Eureka, IL

$28,636 In-State Tuition & Fees

$26,475 Avg Student Debt

$51,641 Median Earnings (10yr)

Eureka College tops our 2026 list of the best value value schools in Illinois. Set in the town of Eureka, Eureka College is a small private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $28,636. Value graduates carry a median of $26,475 in student loans. Early-career value graduates make about $37,886. Set against $26,475 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 85% of applicants are accepted.

2

Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL

$53,710 In-State Tuition & Fees

$25,000 Avg Student Debt

$71,530 Median Earnings (10yr)

A rank of #2 makes Loyola University Chicago one of the best values for value. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $53,710. Typical student debt for value graduates is $25,000. Early-career value graduates make about $42,128. That is a strong return on a $25,000 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.

View All Value Rankings >

Notes and References

This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 4 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 2 ranked schools only.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.