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2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

35 Ranked Colleges
4,783 Degrees Awarded
$18,200 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Social Sciences 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. At College Factual, we’re committed to helping you make that decision by providing information such as that found in our “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking.

Social Sciences is one of the most popular majors in the nation, ranking 5th of all the majors we analyze. In 2019-2020, 205,726 degrees were awarded to students with this major. In 2017-2018, social sciences graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $34,801 and had an average of $23,466 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 5,941 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $34,078 and $23,135 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 4,783 social sciences graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking looked at 35 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in social sciences. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent social sciences programs, but they also cost less that schools of similar quality.

Some of the factors we look at when determining these rankings are overall quality of the social sciences program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

More Ways to Rank Social Sciences Schools

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

One of our other unique offerings is College Combat. This tool lets you build your own customized comparisons utilizing the factors that are most important to you. 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 Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid

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

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

#3 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 Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 867 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #3. It costs about $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences 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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#11 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 290 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

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 full report on Social Sciences at UIC

#21 in overall quality

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. UIS is located in Springfield, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 26 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

UIS not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $12,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend UIS.

Full UIS Social Sciences Report

#4

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#19 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Saint Xavier University landed the #4 spot on the list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SXU, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend SXU.

Read more about Social Sciences at Saint Xavier University

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and it awarded 206 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at NIU, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Full Northern Illinois University Social Sciences Report

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

With a ranking of #6, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Charleston, Illinois that handed out 72 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at EIU, the school also landed the #20 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $14,607 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Eastern Illinois University

#17 in overall quality

With a ranking of #7, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 126 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#8

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

Northwestern University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 555 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $24,664 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid per year to attend Northwestern.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 0.8%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Northwestern University

#9

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. CSU is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 30 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Chicago State University is $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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.

Full CSU Social Sciences Report

#18 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is located in Carbondale, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 137 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

SIUC also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Social Sciences at SIUC

#11

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois

National Louis University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. National Louis University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 29 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend National Louis University is $14,957 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Full NLU Social Sciences Report

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#25 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Western Illinois University is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 52 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at Western Illinois University

Northeastern Illinois University ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences 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 social sciences degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Northeastern Illinois University

#14

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
#23 in overall quality

University of St Francis landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Joliet, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 7 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, University of Saint Francis has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $17,538 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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%.

Full University of St Francis Social Sciences Report

#15

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois State University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Illinois State is located in Normal, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 257 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.

Illinois State also took the #6 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at Illinois State University

#16

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #16. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 83 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid list, Dominican U has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $19,268 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences 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.

Full Dominican University Social Sciences Report

#17

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 27 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $16,562 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

Full Illinois College Social Sciences Report

#18

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
#1 in overall quality

University of Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking, coming in at #18. This fairly large school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 603 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

UChicago also took the #1 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $27,315 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read more about Social Sciences at UChicago

#19

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

With a ranking of #19, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 120 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

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. The student loan default rate at the school is 0.7%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Social Sciences Report

#20

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Elmhurst University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 50 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Elmhurst is $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences 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%.

Full Elmhurst Social Sciences Report

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 47 degrees to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences 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 Social Sciences at Olivet Nazarene University

#22

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Concordia University, Chicago did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 16 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Concordia University, Chicago

#23

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#8 in overall quality

Augustana College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 71 students in 2019-2020.

Augustana also took the #8 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Augustana is $23,874 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 85%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Augustana College Social Sciences Report

#24

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#24 in overall quality

McKendree University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid list. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 50 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $19,844 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students with aid.

Read more about Social Sciences at McKendree

#25

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Getting Aid ranking. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 12 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Millikin University is $21,331 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students with aid.

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 Millikin University Social Sciences Report

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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