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

45 Ranked Colleges
6,271 Degrees Awarded
$12,700 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. 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 Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

Psychology is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 7th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 183,889 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, psychology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $33,496 and had an average of $36,227 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 6,271 psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $35,828 and $49,680 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking, we looked at 45 colleges that offer a degree in psychology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality psychology programs that also have a lower cost than schools of similar quality.

When determining these rankings, we looked at things such as overall quality of the psychology program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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

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. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out 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 Psychology (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Northwestern University is a large private not-for-profit school situated in Evanston, Illinois. It awarded 405 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $1,866 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Northwestern University Psychology Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. UChicago is a fairly large private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 139 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UChicago is $2,712 for illinois psychology 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%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full UChicago Psychology Report

Out of the 45 schools in the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #3 spot on the list. UIUC is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 590 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

UIUC also took the #11 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $5,477 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full UIUC Psychology Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. This large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 486 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also made our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $10,648 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at University of Illinois at Chicago

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 222 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SIUE is $8,055 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 217 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $15,281 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend NIU.

Full Northern Illinois University Psychology Report

#7

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

Governors State University came in at #7 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 University Park, Illinois, and it awarded 174 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $10,872 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Governors State University.

Read full report on Psychology at Governors State University

#8

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois

Lewis University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Lewis University is located in Romeoville, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 74 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Lewis did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Lewis is $12,821 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.6%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at Lewis

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #9. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 198 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $14,470 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 Illinois State University Psychology Report

#10

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #10. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 72 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

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

Full Saint Xavier University Psychology Report

#11

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 82 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $9,771 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend UIS.

Read full report on Psychology at University of Illinois at Springfield

#12

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 120 diplomas to qualified ’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $12,350 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Eastern Illinois University Psychology Report

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution located in Wheaton, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 92 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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.

Read more about Psychology at Wheaton College Illinois

#14

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Illinois College is located in Jacksonville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

Illinois College also made our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $11,376 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Psychology at Illinois College

#15

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois

Aurora University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Aurora, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

Aurora also made our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #19. It costs about $14,103 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Aurora.

The low student loan default rate of 4.4% 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 full report on Psychology at Aurora

With a ranking of #16, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 117 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $13,658 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#17

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #17. Lake Forest College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lake Forest, Illinois. It awarded 34 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Lake Forest also took the #12 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Lake Forest is $18,192 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at Lake Forest College

#18

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

Bradley University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bradley is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also took the #8 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,205 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Bradley.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Bradley University Psychology Report

#19

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. WIU is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 89 ’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

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

Read full report on Psychology at Western Illinois University

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University 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 Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 130 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,903 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Elmhurst.

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%.

Full Elmhurst University Psychology Report

#21

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Monmouth College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Monmouth is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Monmouth, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k list, Monmouth has also earned the #24 rank in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Monmouth College is $13,231 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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. 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 full report on Psychology at Monmouth College

#22

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 53 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $20,355 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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about Psychology at Augustana

#23

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #23, National Louis University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 287 ’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,178 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend National Louis University.

Read more about Psychology at National Louis University

#24

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois

Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #24. Quincy, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

Quincy U also made our “Best Psychology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. It costs about $15,292 for Illinois Psychology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Quincy University.

Read more about Psychology at Quincy U

With a ranking of #25, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out ’s psychology degrees to 110 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $14,816 for illinois psychology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Psychology Report

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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