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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

29 Ranked Colleges
752 Degrees Awarded
$13,500 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

With all of the options students have for higher education today, it can be tough to choose which direction to take. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Sociology is the 24th most popular major in the country with 37,807 degrees awarded in 2019-2020. In 2017-2018, sociology graduates who were awarded their degree in 2015-2017, earned an average of $29,727 and had an average of $23,622 in loans still to pay off.

Across Illinois, there were 860 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $27,900 and $23,883 respectively. At the bachelor’s degree level specifically, there were 752 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $38,319 and $24,183 respectively.

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great sociology programs and 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 sociology program at the school. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

More Ways to Rank Sociology Schools

The sociology 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 “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k”.

To further help you make the college decision, we’ve developed a unique tool called College Combat that allows you to compare schools based on the factors that matter the most to you. Go ahead and give it a try, or bookmark the link so you can check it out later.

Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $0-$30k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Northwestern University. It ranked #1 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #2 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Northwestern is $1,866 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. 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 school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 97%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Northwestern Sociology Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Chicago. The school came in at #2 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 31 students in 2019-2020.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $2,712 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend University of Chicago.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. 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%. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Read more about Sociology at University of Chicago

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 #3 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 65 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, UIUC has also earned the #3 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $5,477 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

With a freshman retention rate of 94%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The low 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k. Located in Edwardsville, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 35 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUE, the school also landed the #19 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $8,055 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend SIUE.

Full Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Sociology Report

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. NIU is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 72 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

NIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #9 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northern Illinois University is $15,281 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Full Northern Illinois University Sociology Report

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #6. University of Illinois at Chicago is a large public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 66 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIC, the school also landed the #8 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for UIC is $10,648 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Sociology at UIC

#7

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, SXU has also earned the #16 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $11,266 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Sociology at Saint Xavier University

#8

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #8. Located in Normal, Illinois, this large public school awarded 76 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois State, the school also landed the #7 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,470 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Sociology at Illinois State

#9

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

With a ranking of #9, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. EIU is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

EIU also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. It costs about $12,350 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend EIU.

Read full report on Sociology at Eastern Illinois University

#10

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #10 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 9 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Wheaton College Illinois, the school also landed the #4 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $18,440 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 90%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Sociology Report

#11

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jacksonville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #20 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $11,376 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Sociology at Illinois College

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Located in Carbondale, Illinois, this fairly large public school awarded 4 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k list, SIUC has also earned the #23 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $13,658 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read full report on Sociology at SIUC

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Western Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Macomb, Illinois. It awarded 15 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $13,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Sociology at WIU

#14

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #14. Elmhurst, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 19 students in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst is $16,903 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Read full report on Sociology at Elmhurst

#15

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #15. This small school is located in Lebanon, Illinois, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #15. It costs about $15,184 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend McKendree.

Read full report on Sociology at McKendree University

#16

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Bradley University came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in Peoria, Illinois, and it awarded 11 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #11. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $17,205 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 86%. The low student loan default rate of 2.5% 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 Sociology at Bradley

#17

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. River Forest, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 32 students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Dominican U, the school also landed the #14 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,060 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Dominican University.

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.

Read full report on Sociology at Dominican U

#18

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. North Central is a small school located in Naperville, Illinois that handed out 28 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #5 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend North Central College is $18,889 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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%.

Full North Central College Sociology Report

#19

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Bloomington, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 6 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $18,570 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 full report on Sociology at Illinois Wesleyan

With a ranking of #20, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 22 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also took the #25 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,816 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read more about Sociology at Northeastern Illinois University

#21

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Augustana College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #13. It costs about $20,355 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend Augustana College.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, 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 3.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Augustana College

#22

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k list. Decatur, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The yearly cost to attend Millikin is $17,656 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Sociology at Millikin University

#23

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking, coming in at #23. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small public school handed out 25 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,507 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $0-$30k per year to attend CSU.

The student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1 is a sign that students will have more opportunities to engage with their professors one-on-one.

Read full report on Sociology at Chicago State University

#24

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. Bourbonnais, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 1 students in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Olivet Nazarene is $15,806 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

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 Sociology at Olivet Nazarene University

#25

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $0-$30k ranking. This medium-sized school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 2 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $14,097 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $0-$30k.

Read more about Sociology at Concordia University, Chicago

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 Kontos.

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