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2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois

29 Ranked Colleges
752 Degrees Awarded
$19,400 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor's in Illinois

Students have lots of options to chooose from today when trying to decide which college to attend. Our mission at College Factual is to arm you with as much information as we can to help you make that decision. Our “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois” ranking is one tool we have developed to help in this regard.

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” 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.

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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

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”.

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

The following schools top our list of the Best Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology in Illinois

#1

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the #1 spot on the list. 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 yearly cost to attend Illinois State University is $20,895 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 4.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Illinois State

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 #2 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. Champaign, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 65 students 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. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is $15,880 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 94%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

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

#3

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northern Illinois University. The school came in at #3 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois. This fairly large school is located in Dekalb, Illinois, and 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 yearly cost to attend NIU is $18,259 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read full report on Sociology at NIU

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #4 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Edwardsville, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 35 students in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $14,423 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read full report on Sociology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

#5

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Out of the 29 schools in the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Eastern Illinois University landed the #5 spot on the list. Eastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 28 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students list, EIU has also earned the #17 rank in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $14,607 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students per year to attend EIU.

Read more about Sociology at Eastern Illinois University

University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #6. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 66 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UIC also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #8. The yearly cost to attend University of Illinois at Chicago is $13,312 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology 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%.

Full UIC Sociology Report

#7

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

With a ranking of #7, Western Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Western Illinois University 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $16,210 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read more about Sociology at Western Illinois University

With a ranking of #8, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, this medium-sized public school handed out 22 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Northeastern Illinois University also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #25. The yearly cost to attend Northeastern Illinois University is $15,843 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Full Northeastern Illinois University Sociology Report

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois 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 also took the #23 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale is $16,945 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Sociology Report

#10

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

Chicago State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. CSU is a small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 25 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $11,733 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students per year to attend Chicago State University.

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.

Full Chicago State University Sociology Report

#11

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

With a ranking of #11, McKendree University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. 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. The estimated yearly cost for McKendree is $19,844 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Read full report on Sociology at McKendree

#12

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is located in Wheaton, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 9 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

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 $25,358 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

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. 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at Wheaton College Illinois

#13

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

With a ranking of #13, Illinois College did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Located in Jacksonville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 6 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Illinois College not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois College is $16,562 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read full report on Sociology at Illinois College

#14

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
#11 in overall quality

Bradley University ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. Bradley is located in Peoria, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 11 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Bradley University is $25,634 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology 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%.

Read more about Sociology at Bradley

#15

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #15. Dominican U is a small school located in River Forest, Illinois that handed out 32 bachelors’s sociology degrees 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. The estimated yearly cost for Dominican U is $19,268 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

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 Dominican University Sociology Report

#16

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Sociology 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 sociology degrees to 9 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students 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 $14,528 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

Read full report on Sociology at SXU

#17

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois

Benedictine University landed the #17 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Benedictine University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Lisle, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $25,143 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students per year to attend Benedictine U.

Read full report on Sociology at Benedictine University

#18

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 19 bachelors’s sociology degrees 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. It costs about $21,485 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at Elmhurst

#19

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois

Roosevelt University came in at #19 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Roosevelt University 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 made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #24. It costs about $22,749 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students per year to attend Roosevelt.

Full Roosevelt University Sociology Report

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois

North Central College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Naperville, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelors’s sociology degrees to 28 students 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 estimated yearly cost for North Central is $24,786 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.9%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at North Central College

#21

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is located in Bourbonnais, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 1 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

The estimated yearly cost for Olivet Nazarene University is $20,195 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology 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%.

Read more about Sociology at Olivet Nazarene

#22

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 ranking, coming in at #22. 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 $16,512 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students.

Read full report on Sociology at Concordia University, Chicago

#23

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

Millikin University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking, coming in at #23. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $21,331 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students per year to attend Millikin University.

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 Millikin University

#24

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois ranking. Located in Rock Island, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 5 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students 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. The yearly cost to attend Augustana is $23,874 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students.

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

#25

DePaul University

Chicago, Illinois

DePaul University ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois list. DePaul University is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 41 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

DePaul also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #18. The estimated yearly cost for DePaul is $30,090 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students.

The school has an impressive student loan default rate. It’s only 4.5%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full DePaul University 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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