2026 Best General Social Sciences Schools in Illinois

General Social Sciences degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. The schools below stand out for the quality of their general social sciences programs.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 15 schools to find the best for general social sciences students.

What’s on this page:

• Best General Social Sciences Schools in Illinois

Best Schools for General Social Sciences in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall general social sciences education in Illinois.

Top Schools in General Social Sciences

1

University Of Chicago
Chicago, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

770 General Social Sciences Degrees Awarded

$53,788 Median Starting Salary

Leading the list is University Of Chicago, our #1 school for general social sciences. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 96% of students complete a degree within six years here. University Of Chicago awarded about 770 general social sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their general social sciences degree from University Of Chicago earn around $53,788 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $15,854 to complete this degree. More information about a degree in general social sciences from University Of Chicago

2

North Central College
Naperville, IL

16 General Social Sciences Degrees Awarded

$46,247 Median Starting Salary

Students looking for a strong general social sciences program will find one at North Central College, which ranked #2. Set in the city of Naperville, North Central College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. North Central College graduates 64% of students within six years. North Central College awarded about 16 general social sciences degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the general social sciences program make about $46,247 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $25,699 to complete this degree. Get the full general social sciences details for North Central College

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 15 schools evaluated.

• 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.