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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

29 Ranked Colleges
752 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

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 Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking is part of that endeavor.

In 2019-2020, 37,807 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 24th most popular in the United States. 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 $30-$48k” ranking analyzed 29 colleges that offered a degree in sociology. Not only do the schools that top this list have excellent sociology 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 sociology program at the school and the cost of the school after aid is awarded among other things. See our ranking methodology to learn more.

One Size Does Not Fit All

When choosing the right school for you, it’s important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we’ve created a number of major-specific rankings, including this “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” list to help you make the college decision.

We’ve created a tool called College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter the most to you. Test it out when you get a chance! You may also want to bookmark the link and share it with others who are trying to make the college decision.

Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k) 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 $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Evanston, Illinois, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northwestern has also earned the #2 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $3,995 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern University.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 6 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 97%, 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 0.8%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Northwestern University

#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 $30-$48k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 31 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 $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend UChicago is $2,800 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. With a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, it’s easy to see that the school is committed to helping their undergraduates succeed.

Full UChicago Sociology Report

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 $30-$48k. Located in Champaign, Illinois, this large public school handed out 65 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

UIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $8,464 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Sociology at UIUC

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the #4 spot on the list. SIUE is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 35 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE also took the #19 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $9,938 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read more about Sociology at SIUE

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 66 students in 2019-2020.

UIC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #8 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,185 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UIC.

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%.

Full UIC Sociology Report

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dekalb, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 72 students in 2019-2020.

NIU also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #9. It costs about $15,861 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northern Illinois University.

Read more about Sociology at NIU

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #7 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 28 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, EIU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $11,316 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at EIU

#8

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. SXU is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. The yearly cost to attend Saint Xavier University is $11,962 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SXU Sociology Report

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University landed the #9 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Normal, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 76 students in 2019-2020.

Illinois State not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #7 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State is $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Illinois State University Sociology Report

#10

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois College is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Jacksonville, Illinois. It awarded 6 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois College also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $12,454 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at Illinois College

#11

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 15 students in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #21 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,526 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Western Illinois University.

Read full report on Sociology at Western Illinois University

#23 in overall quality

With a ranking of #12, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at SIUC, the school also landed the #23 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend SIUC is $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at SIUC

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #4 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $16,212 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 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. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 90%.

Read more about Sociology at Wheaton College Illinois

#14

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

With a ranking of #14, Dominican University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 32 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican University is $17,586 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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 Dominican U

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University landed the #15 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Elmhurst University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Elmhurst, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Elmhurst has also earned the #12 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Elmhurst University is $17,837 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 3.0%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Elmhurst University

With a ranking of #16, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This medium-sized school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 22 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Sociology Report

#17

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Bradley is a medium-sized school located in Peoria, Illinois that handed out 11 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Bradley has also earned the #11 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,232 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Bradley.

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 student loan default rate at the school is 2.5%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Bradley University

#18

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #18 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Lebanon, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 24 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, McKendree has also earned the #15 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree is $16,659 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full McKendree University Sociology Report

#19

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Chicago State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. CSU is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 25 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Chicago State University is $11,844 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Sociology at CSU

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

With a ranking of #20, North Central College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

North Central did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #5 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $20,128 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend North Central College.

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%.

Read more about Sociology at North Central

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Millikin is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Millikin, the school also landed the #22 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,692 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Millikin University.

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 Millikin University Sociology Report

#22

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Bloomington, Illinois, and it awarded 6 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Illinois Wesleyan, the school also landed the #6 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan is $19,857 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

With a freshman retention rate of 87%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 1.4%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Illinois Wesleyan University

#23

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Augustana is a small school located in Rock Island, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Augustana, the school also landed the #13 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,249 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Augustana.

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 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 Sociology at Augustana

#24

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Olivet Nazarene University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bourbonnais, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 1 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,390 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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 Olivet Nazarene University

#25

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago came in at #25 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 2 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $15,406 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Sociology 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.

Credits

  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Kontos.

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