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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics in Illinois

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

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking - to help you make that decision.

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.

This year’s “Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking looked at 23 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in general economics. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent general economics 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 economics program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank General Economics 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 General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois.

Top 23 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for General Economics in Illinois

#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 436 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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 school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 2.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign General Economics Report

#2

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #2 spot on the list. Illinois State is a large school located in Normal, Illinois that handed out 46 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

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%.

Full Illinois State General Economics Report

#9 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Springfield landed the #3 spot on the list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, this small public school handed out 4 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students list, UIS has also earned the #9 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

Read full report on General Economics at UIS

#4 in overall quality

Out of the 23 schools in the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #4 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Chicago is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 99 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 General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students 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 more about General Economics at University of Illinois at Chicago

#15 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #5 on our 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #15 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

Read more about General Economics at SIUE

#6

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Western Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #6. Western Illinois University is located in Macomb, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 8 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

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 Western Illinois University is $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

Read full report on General Economics at Western Illinois University

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. EIU is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 3 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

Read more about General Economics at EIU

#21 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 17 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #21 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

Read more about General Economics at Northeastern Illinois University

#9

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Northern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s general economics degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students list, NIU has also earned the #14 rank in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

Read full report on General Economics at NIU

#20 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This fairly large school is located in Carbondale, Illinois, and it awarded 13 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,945 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students per year to attend SIUC.

Read more about General Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#11

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

McKendree University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. McKendree University 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 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 per year to attend McKendree University.

Read more about General Economics at McKendree

#12

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Bradley University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #12. Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Peoria, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also took the #8 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $25,634 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read full report on General Economics at Bradley University

#13

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Illinois College ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 14 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s general economics students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois College, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

Read full report on General Economics at Illinois College

#14

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Olivet Nazarene is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 33 bachelors’s general economics degrees to qualified students.

Olivet Nazarene not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #12 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics 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%.

Read more about General Economics at Olivet Nazarene

#15

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#10 in overall quality

Dominican University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Dominican University is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 6 bachelors’s general economics degrees 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 yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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 General Economics at Dominican U

#16

Rockford University

Rockford, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

Rockford University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Rockford is a private not-for-profit institution located in Rockford, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Rockford not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Rockford is $22,197 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Full Rockford University General Economics Report

#17

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Elmhurst University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Elmhurst is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst University is $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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 Economics at Elmhurst University

#18

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #18, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also took the #22 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Roosevelt University is $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

Read full report on General Economics at Roosevelt

#19

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

North Central College landed the #19 spot on the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. North Central is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 31 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for North Central College is $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students.

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%.

Read more about General Economics at North Central College

#20

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Rock Island, 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 8 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #5 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree General Economics students per year to attend Augustana.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%.

Read more about General Economics at Augustana College

#21

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois
#18 in overall quality

DePaul University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #21. DePaul is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

DePaul also took the #18 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul University is $30,090 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

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 General Economics at DePaul

#22

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#3 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 14 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois Wesleyan is $26,039 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about General Economics at Illinois Wesleyan

#23

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

Northwestern University ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value General Economics Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 7 bachelors’s general economics degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also took the #1 spot in our “Best General Economics Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern is $24,664 for illinois bachelor’s degree general economics students.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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 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 full report on General Economics at Northwestern University

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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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