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2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

23 Ranked Colleges
857 Degrees Awarded
$19,800 Avg Net Price*
Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. 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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 31,150 people earned their degree in general economics, making the major the 22nd most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 901 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 857 general economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

For this year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, we looked at 23 colleges that offer a degree in general economics. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality general economics 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 general economics program at the school and the cost to attend the school once aid has been awarded. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. 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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics in Illinois (With Aid)

#2 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 436 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read full report on General Economics at UIUC

#4 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 99 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC also took the #4 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend University of Illinois at Chicago.

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 General Economics at University of Illinois at Chicago

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 4 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIS, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Springfield is $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Read more about General Economics at University of Illinois at Springfield

#4

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Read full report on General Economics at Northwestern

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid list, EIU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on General Economics at EIU

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 24 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Full NIU General Economics Report

#15 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Read full report on General Economics at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#8

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

With a ranking of #8, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 8 students in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Read full report on General Economics at Western Illinois University

#21 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 17 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Read full report on General Economics at Northeastern Illinois University

#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #10, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid list, SIUC has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read more about General Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#11

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Dominican University ranked #11 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #10 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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.

Read more about General Economics at Dominican U

#12

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Jacksonville, Illinois, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $16,562 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

Read more about General Economics at Illinois College

#13

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Illinois State University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school handed out 46 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend Illinois State University.

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 General Economics Report

#14

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

With a ranking of #14, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This small school is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, and it awarded 33 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Olivet Nazarene, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics 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 more about General Economics at Olivet Nazarene University

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Elmhurst University is located in Elmhurst, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

Elmhurst not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about General Economics at Elmhurst University

#16

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 8 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Augustana College General Economics Report

#17

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

With a ranking of #17, McKendree University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. McKendree is located in Lebanon, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 17 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid list, McKendree has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,844 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid per year to attend McKendree.

Read more about General Economics at McKendree

#18

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid list, North Central has also earned the #6 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full North Central College General Economics Report

#19

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Bradley University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 5 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

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 full report on General Economics at Bradley

#20

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bloomington, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also took the #3 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $26,039 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students with aid.

The student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 87%.

Read more about General Economics at Illinois Wesleyan University

#21

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

Roosevelt University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Roosevelt University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 5 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also made our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt University is $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid.

Read more about General Economics at Roosevelt University

#22

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Rockford University came in at #22 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Rockford, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 1 degrees to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid list, Rockford has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Rockford University is $22,197 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics 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.

Read more about General Economics at Rockford University

#23

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

DePaul University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 25 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

DePaul did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #18 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $30,090 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students with aid per year to attend DePaul.

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 DePaul University General Economics Report

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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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to pixabay.

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