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2022 Best Value Colleges for General Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

41 Ranked Colleges
3,617 Degrees Awarded
$13,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

When pursuing a degree in today’s world, students have many different options to choose from. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking - to help you make that decision.

With 134,326 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, general psychology is the 4th most popular major in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 3,617 general psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking analyzed 41 colleges that offered a degree in general psychology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general psychology programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the general psychology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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 Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” list to help you make the college decision.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. We encourage you to try it out and pit your favorite colleges and universities head to head! If you don’t have time right now, you can bookmark it for later.

Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Colleges for General Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 163 students in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $1,866 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Psychology at Northwestern University

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 483 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,648 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 UIC General Psychology Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 213 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #18 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $8,055 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full SIUE General Psychology Report

#4

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 41 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 215 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, NIU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full NIU General Psychology Report

#5

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Governors State University. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. GSU is located in University Park, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 113 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $10,872 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend GSU.

Read full report on General Psychology at GSU

#6

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 34 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also took the #2 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,440 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read full report on General Psychology at Wheaton College Illinois

#7

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lewis is a medium-sized school located in Romeoville, Illinois that handed out 74 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Lewis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #10 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $12,821 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Lewis University.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lewis General Psychology Report

With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 61 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $9,771 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIS.

Read full report on General Psychology at UIS

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 169 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $14,470 for illinois psychology 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 General Psychology at Illinois State University

#10

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Saint Xavier University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for SXU is $11,266 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at Saint Xavier University

#11

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #11 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 102 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at Eastern Illinois University

#12

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #12 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 33 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also took the #19 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at Illinois College

#13

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 60 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Aurora has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,103 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Aurora University.

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 General Psychology at Aurora University

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 117 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale General Psychology Report

#15

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. Bradley University is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 52 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also took the #6 spot in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $17,205 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Psychology at Bradley

#16

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 107 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $16,903 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Psychology at Elmhurst

#17

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Macomb, Illinois that handed out 85 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Western Illinois University is $13,942 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at Western Illinois University

#18

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

Monmouth College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #18. Monmouth, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 14 students in 2019-2020.

Monmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,231 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Monmouth.

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%. 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 General Psychology at Monmouth College

#19

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #19. Augustana College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Rock Island, Illinois. It awarded 53 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Augustana has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana College is $20,355 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 3.4% 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 Augustana College General Psychology Report

#20

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois

Trinity Christian College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 35 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Trinity Christian College is $16,611 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. The low student loan default rate of 5.0% 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 General Psychology at Trinity Christian

Illinois Institute of Technology ranked #21 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois Tech is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 28 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Illinois Tech has also earned the #7 rank in our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,222 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Illinois Tech.

The low student loan default rate of 2.9% 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 student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read full report on General Psychology at Illinois Institute of Technology

#22

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Quincy University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Quincy U is located in Quincy, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Quincy U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Quincy U is $15,292 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on General Psychology at Quincy U

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 110 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,816 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Full Northeastern Illinois University General Psychology Report

#24

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 22 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best General Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan University is $18,570 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%. The low student loan default rate of 1.4% 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 General Psychology at Illinois Wesleyan University

#25

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 20 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend University of St Francis is $15,847 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 General Psychology at University of Saint Francis

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 BruceBlaus.

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