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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Psychology in Illinois (With Aid)

45 Ranked Colleges
4,185 Degrees Awarded
$16,900 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

With 183,889 degrees handed out in 2019-2020, psychology is the 7th most popular major in the United States. 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. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,185 psychology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

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 for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list to help you make the college decision.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out by comparing your favorite schools against others you are considering, or bookmark the tool so you can experiment with it later.

Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Psychology in Illinois (With Aid)

#4 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 459 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

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%.

Read full report on Psychology at University of Illinois at Chicago

#8 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 542 students in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid per year to attend UIUC.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low student loan default rate of 2.4% 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 Psychology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#3

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Governors State University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Governors State University is a public institution located in University Park, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 96 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend GSU is $12,077 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Full GSU Psychology Report

#22 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. University of Illinois at Springfield is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 61 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

Read more about Psychology at University of Illinois at Springfield

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#17 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 Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 188 students in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Read more about Psychology at NIU

#19 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 184 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Read more about Psychology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#7

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago State University is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 66 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid 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.

Read more about Psychology at Chicago State University

#8

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Charleston, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 102 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

Read full report on Psychology at EIU

#9

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #9. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 190 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid list, Northwestern has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern University is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. The student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.8% 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 Psychology at Northwestern

#10

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid per year to attend SXU.

Read full report on Psychology at Saint Xavier University

#11

Aurora University

Aurora, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

Aurora University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Aurora, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 60 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid list, Aurora has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,215 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid per year to attend Aurora.

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%.

Full Aurora University Psychology Report

With a ranking of #12, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 110 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

Read more about Psychology at Northeastern Illinois University

With a ranking of #13, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 84 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for SIUC is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Read more about Psychology at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#14

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Macomb, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 77 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Western Illinois University is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

Read full report on Psychology at WIU

#15

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Lewis University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 74 degrees to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Lewis, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid per year to attend Lewis.

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 full report on Psychology at Lewis

#16

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

With a ranking of #16, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 33 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s psychology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid list, Illinois College has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $16,562 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Read full report on Psychology at Illinois College

#17

Quincy University

Quincy, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

Quincy University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #17. Quincy U is a small school located in Quincy, Illinois that handed out 12 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Quincy U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #24 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,497 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid per year to attend Quincy University.

Read full report on Psychology at Quincy University

#18

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 149 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State also made our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #12. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

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

#19

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s psychology degrees to 38 students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $14,957 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

Read more about Psychology at National Louis University

#20

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois

University of St Francis came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. University of Saint Francis is located in Joliet, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 21 bachelors’s psychology degrees to qualified students.

It costs about $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid per year to attend University of Saint Francis.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Psychology at University of St Francis

#21

Monmouth College

Monmouth, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Monmouth College came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Monmouth College is a small school located in Monmouth, Illinois that handed out 14 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Monmouth not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,061 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid per year to attend Monmouth College.

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%.

Full Monmouth Psychology Report

#22

North Park University

Chicago, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

North Park University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. North Park University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Park did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Park University is $19,170 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

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.

Read full report on Psychology at North Park University

#23

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #23. Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 107 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid per year to attend Elmhurst.

The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.

Full Elmhurst Psychology Report

#24

Trinity Christian College

Palos Heights, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Trinity Christian College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. This small school is located in Palos Heights, Illinois, and it awarded 35 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

Trinity Christian also made our “Best Psychology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. The yearly cost to attend Trinity Christian is $21,904 for illinois bachelor’s degree psychology students with aid.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 5.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Psychology at Trinity Christian College

#25

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Psychology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Dominican University is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 42 bachelors’s psychology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Psychology students with aid.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Psychology at Dominican U

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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