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2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois

35 Ranked Colleges
2,155 Degrees Awarded
$28,300 Avg Cost*
Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

In 2020-2021, 49,055 people earned their degree in economics, making the major the 19th most popular in the United States. In 2019-2020, economics graduates who were awarded their degree in 2017-2019, earned an average of $48,736 and had an average of $22,046 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 2,155 economics graduates with average earnings and debt of $51,939 and $23,350 respectively.

For this year’s “Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree in economics. To top this list, a school must have a successful economics program that graduates more students in the field than other colleges that offer the same major.

For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

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The economics school you choose to invest your time and money in matters. To help you make the decision that is right for you, we’ve developed a number of major-specific rankings, including this list of “Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois”.

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.

Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois economics students.

1
UChicago crest
University of Chicago
Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #1 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 626 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The impressive undergraduate student-to-faculty ratio of 5 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 excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 1.0% 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 more about Economics at UChicago

2

Out of the 35 schools in the Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 563 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Economics at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

3
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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 #3 for the Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois. Evanston, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 402 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.6% 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 undergraduate 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 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 Economics at Northwestern University

4

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 129 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

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

Read full report on Economics at UIC

5
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DePaul University
Chicago, Illinois

Out of the 35 schools in the Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the #5 spot on the list. DePaul is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 45 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.7% 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%.

Read full report on Economics at DePaul

5
Illinois State crest
Illinois State University
Normal, Illinois

Out of the 35 schools in the Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #5 spot on the list. Illinois State University is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 45 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The undergrad 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 Economics at Illinois State University

7
Wheaton College Illinois crest
Wheaton College Illinois
Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking. Wheaton, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 35 students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 0.5% 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 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its undergraduate students. With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Read full report on Economics at Wheaton College Illinois

8
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Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, Illinois

Lake Forest College landed the #8 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking. Lake Forest is a small school located in Lake Forest, Illinois that handed out 32 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 1.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full Lake Forest College Economics Report

9

Northern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #9. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 27 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at Northern Illinois University

10

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #10 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

11
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Knox College
Galesburg, Illinois

Knox College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. Galesburg, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 20 students in 2020-2021.

With a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed. The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.3% 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 Knox Economics Report

12
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Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University ranked #12 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois list. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 2.7% 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%.

Read more about Economics at Olivet Nazarene

12

Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #12. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school awarded 19 degrees to qualified ’s economics students in 2020-2021.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Economics Report

14
Augustana crest
Augustana College
Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #14. Augustana College is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 17 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 85%. The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 3.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Economics at Augustana

15
North Central crest
North Central College
Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #15 spot on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 16 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad student loan default rate of 3.6% 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 North Central College Economics Report

15
Roosevelt crest
Roosevelt University
Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University did quite well in the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 16 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Economics at Roosevelt University

17
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McKendree University
Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking. McKendree University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

The low undergrad 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%.

Read full report on Economics at McKendree University

17

Western Illinois University came in at #17 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 14 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read more about Economics at WIU

19
Monmouth crest
Monmouth College
Monmouth, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Monmouth College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois list. Monmouth is located in Monmouth, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 13 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

The school has an impressive undergrad student loan default rate. It’s only 2.3%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read more about Economics at Monmouth

20

With a ranking of #20, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois list. This fairly large school is located in Edwardsville, Illinois, and it awarded 12 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Read full report on Economics at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

20
EIU crest
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois list. Eastern Illinois University is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 12 ’s degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Eastern Illinois University Economics Report

22
Illinois College crest
Illinois College
Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Illinois College did quite well on the 2023 Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois list. Illinois College is located in Jacksonville, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 10 ’s economics degrees to qualified students.

Read full report on Economics at Illinois College

23
Illinois Wesleyan crest
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, Illinois

Illinois Wesleyan University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking. Illinois Wesleyan University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Bloomington, Illinois. It awarded 9 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. The low undergrad 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%.

Full Illinois Wesleyan Economics Report

24
Dominican U crest
Dominican University
River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s economics degrees to 8 students in 2020-2021.

The undergrad student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Since the school has a undergrad student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Economics at Dominican U

24
Principia crest
Principia College
Elsah, Illinois

Principia College ranked #24 on this year’s Most Well Attended Economics Major in Illinois list. Principia is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elsah, Illinois. It awarded 8 ’s economics degrees in 2020-2021.

Full Principia Economics Report

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