2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in Illinois
It’s not easy to decide which college to attend when there so many options available for students. 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 Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking is part of that endeavor.
In 2019-2020, 205,726 social sciences students received their degree, making the major the 5th most popular in the country. 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.
For this year’s “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking, we looked at 35 colleges that offer a degree in social sciences. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great social sciences programs and 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. See our ranking methodology to learn more.
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Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” list, to help you choose the best school for you.
You can create your own custom comparison that focuses on the factors most important to you using our 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.
Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois
The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Social Sciences in Illinois
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. UIUC is a public institution located in Champaign, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 867 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences 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%.
Read more about Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
Out of the 35 schools in the Best Value Social Sciences 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 public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 257 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
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%.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large public school situated in Edwardsville, Illinois. It awarded 126 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUE also took the #17 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for SIUE is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
Read more about Social Sciences at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University of Illinois at Springfield is a small school located in Springfield, Illinois that handed out 26 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
UIS also took the #21 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIS is $12,477 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
Read more about Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Springfield
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Eastern Illinois University. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
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 estimated yearly cost for EIU is $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Northern Illinois University is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 206 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, NIU has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $18,259 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #7. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this large public school handed out 290 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s social sciences students in 2019-2020.
UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend UIC is $13,312 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences 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%.
Western Illinois University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s social sciences degrees to 52 students in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #25 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,210 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Western Illinois University.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 137 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
SIUC also took the #18 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
Read full report on Social Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Northeastern Illinois University landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 72 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
It costs about $15,843 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.
Read more about Social Sciences at Northeastern Illinois University
National Louis University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #11. National Louis University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for NLU is $14,957 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
With a ranking of #12, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. CSU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 30 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend CSU is $11,733 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
With a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.
Wheaton College Illinois came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 120 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The low student loan default rate of 0.7% 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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.
McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #14. McKendree is located in Lebanon, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 50 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at McKendree, the school also landed the #24 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $19,844 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
Bradley University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 42 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 86%, 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 2.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
Illinois College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. 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 yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
University of St Francis ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. University of Saint Francis is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Joliet, Illinois. It awarded 7 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
University of Saint Francis not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend University of Saint Francis is $17,538 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The low student loan default rate of 3.3% 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%.
With a ranking of #18, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. This small school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 83 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Dominican U.
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.
With a ranking of #19, Saint Xavier University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Chicago, 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 24 students in 2019-2020.
In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students list, SXU has also earned the #19 rank in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
Benedictine University ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Benedictine U is a small school located in Lisle, Illinois that handed out 27 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
The estimated yearly cost for Benedictine U is $25,143 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
With a ranking of #21, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Olivet Nazarene University is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 47 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
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
Rockford University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences 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 11 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.
The yearly cost to attend Rockford University is $22,197 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students.
Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.
Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. 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 took the #14 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $21,485 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students per year to attend Elmhurst University.
The low student loan default rate of 3.0% 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%.
Concordia University, Chicago landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 16 bachelors’s social sciences degrees to qualified students.
It costs about $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree social sciences students per year to attend Concordia University, Chicago.
Read more about Social Sciences at Concordia University, Chicago
North Central College came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. North Central is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 79 bachelors’s social sciences degrees in 2019-2020.
As a testament to the quality of education offered at North Central, the school also landed the #9 spot in our “Best Social Sciences Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $24,786 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Social Sciences students.
The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.9%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.
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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.
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- Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.
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