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2022 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

29 Ranked Colleges
752 Degrees Awarded
$27,900 Avg Salary
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. One of our goals at College Factual is to give you as much information as we can - such as our “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” ranking - to help you make that 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 $48-$75k” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. This ranking identifies schools with high-quality sociology programs that also have a lower cost than 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. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since the program you select can have a significant impact on your future, we’ve developed a number of rankings, including this “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k” list, to help you choose the best school for you.

In addition to our rankings, you can take two colleges and compare them based on the criteria that matters most to you in our unique tool, College Combat. 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 $48-$75k

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $48-$75k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northwestern University landed the #1 spot on the list. Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Evanston, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 29 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Northwestern also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #2. It costs about $6,452 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northwestern University.

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%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. 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.

Read full report on Sociology at Northwestern

#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 $48-$75k. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this fairly large private not-for-profit school handed out 31 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UChicago, the school also landed the #1 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend University of Chicago is $7,934 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year. 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%. 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.

Read more about Sociology at UChicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. It ranked #3 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This large school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 65 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at UIUC, the school also landed the #3 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $13,351 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend UIUC.

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

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

#4

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 $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, Northern Illinois University landed the #4 spot on the list. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 72 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

NIU also took the #9 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $18,346 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Sociology at NIU

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #5 spot on the list. UIC is a large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 66 bachelors’s sociology degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,683 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 University of Illinois at Chicago

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. EIU is a public institution located in Charleston, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #17. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $13,560 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Sociology at Eastern Illinois University

#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 $48-$75k ranking. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 9 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

SXU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #16 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,907 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Saint Xavier University.

Read full report on Sociology at Saint Xavier University

#8

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #8. This small school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 9 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The yearly cost to attend Wheaton College Illinois is $19,691 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 0.7%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%. 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 more about Sociology at Wheaton College Illinois

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 35 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

SIUE not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #19 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $13,705 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read more about Sociology at SIUE

#10

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

With a ranking of #10, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Illinois State is a large public school situated in Normal, Illinois. It awarded 76 bachelors’s sociology degrees 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. It costs about $19,080 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois State University.

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

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school situated in Carbondale, Illinois. It awarded 4 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #23 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,985 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Read full report on Sociology at SIUC

#12

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

With a ranking of #12, Elmhurst University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Elmhurst University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 19 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k 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 $19,703 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%.

Read more about Sociology at Elmhurst University

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. WIU is a public institution located in Macomb, Illinois. The school has a medium-sized population, and it awarded 15 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #21. The estimated yearly cost for WIU is $15,912 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read more about Sociology at Western Illinois University

#14

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 28 bachelors’s 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. It costs about $23,353 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k 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 full report on Sociology at North Central

#15

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 32 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #14 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $18,582 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 more about Sociology at Dominican U

#16

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College landed the #16 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Jacksonville, 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 College also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #20. It costs about $14,942 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Illinois College.

Read full report on Sociology at Illinois College

#17

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College ranked #17 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. This small school is located in Rock Island, Illinois, and it awarded 5 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Augustana not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #13 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,453 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Augustana.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 85%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Full Augustana Sociology Report

#18

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 $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #18. CSU is a small school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 25 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSU is $10,023 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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.

Read more about Sociology at CSU

#19

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #19, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Millikin University is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #22. The estimated yearly cost for Millikin is $20,390 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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 Sociology Report

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Northeastern Illinois University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 22 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k list, Northeastern Illinois University has also earned the #25 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $18,180 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k per year to attend Northeastern Illinois University.

Read full report on Sociology at Northeastern Illinois University

#21

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University landed the #21 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. McKendree is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lebanon, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 24 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

McKendree also took the #15 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend McKendree University is $19,851 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full McKendree Sociology Report

#22

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k 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 estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene is $17,841 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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

#23

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking, coming in at #23. Concordia University, Chicago is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in River Forest, Illinois. It awarded 2 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The yearly cost to attend Concordia University, Chicago is $17,295 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Full Concordia University, Chicago Sociology Report

#24

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Bradley University landed the #24 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k ranking. Bradley University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Peoria, Illinois. It awarded 11 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Bradley did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #11 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley University is $22,865 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

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%. With a freshman retention rate of 86%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students.

Full Bradley Sociology Report

#25

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

With a ranking of #25, Roosevelt University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $48-$75k list. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Roosevelt also took the #24 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Roosevelt is $21,870 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $48-$75k.

Read full report on Sociology at Roosevelt University

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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