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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 has developed its “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

In 2019-2020, 37,747 people earned their degree in sociology, making the major the 20th most popular in the United States.

Across Illinois, there were 860 sociology graduates with average earnings and debt of $0 and $0 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.

For this year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, we looked at 29 colleges that offer a degree 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. For more information, check out our ranking methodology.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Since picking the right college can be one of the most important decisions of your life, we’ve developed the “Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking, along with many other major-related rankings, to help you make that decision.

In addition to College Factual’s rankings, you may want to take a look at College Combat, our unique tool that lets you pit your favorite schools head-to-head and compare how they rate on factors that most interest you. When you have some time, check it out - you may want to bookmark the link so you don’t forget it.

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

The colleges and universities below are the best for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Top 25 Best Value Bachelor’s Degree Colleges for Sociology (Income $30-$48k) in Illinois

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
#2 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Northwestern University. The school came in at #1 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Northwestern is located in Evanston, Illinois and, has a large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 29 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Northwestern not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #2 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $3,995 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Northwestern.

With a freshman retention rate of 97%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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 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
#1 in overall quality

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 Chicago landed the #2 spot on the list. University of Chicago is located in Chicago, Illinois and, has a fairly large student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 31 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

UChicago did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #1 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for University of Chicago is $2,800 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 100%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full UChicago Sociology Report

#3 in overall quality

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 $30-$48k list. University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a large school located in Champaign, Illinois that handed out 65 bachelors’s sociology degrees 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 yearly cost to attend UIUC is $8,464 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The student loan default rate at the school is 2.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 94%.

Read full report on Sociology at UIUC

#19 in overall quality

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 For Those Making $30-$48k 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 also took the #19 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is $9,938 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at SIUE

#8 in overall quality

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #5 for the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #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 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

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
#9 in overall quality

Northern Illinois University landed the #6 spot on the 2022 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.

Full Northern Illinois University Sociology Report

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
#17 in overall quality

Eastern Illinois University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #7. EIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 28 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

EIU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Eastern Illinois University is $11,316 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at Eastern Illinois University

#8

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois
#16 in overall quality

Saint Xavier University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. SXU is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 9 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #16. It costs about $11,962 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Saint Xavier University.

Read full report on Sociology at SXU

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
#7 in overall quality

With a ranking of #9, Illinois State University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 76 bachelors’s 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 $14,999 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Illinois State.

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 more about Sociology at Illinois State University

#10

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois
#20 in overall quality

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 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #20 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $12,454 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at Illinois College

#11

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
#21 in overall quality

Western Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. 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.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at WIU, the school also landed the #21 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $14,526 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at WIU

#23 in overall quality

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #12. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 4 bachelors’s degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $14,306 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Carbondale.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Sociology Report

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois
#4 in overall quality

Wheaton College Illinois landed the #13 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a small school located in Wheaton, Illinois that handed out 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. It costs about $16,212 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Wheaton College Illinois.

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

Read more about Sociology at Wheaton College Illinois

#14

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
#14 in overall quality

Dominican University came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Dominican University 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 also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #14. The yearly cost to attend Dominican U is $17,586 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read more about Sociology at Dominican U

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
#12 in overall quality

Elmhurst University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #15. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 19 degrees to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Elmhurst, the school also landed the #12 spot in our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $17,837 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst.

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

#25 in overall quality

Northeastern Illinois 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 $30-$48k ranking. 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 not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #25 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. 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. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 11 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Bradley not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #11 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $18,232 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Bradley Sociology Report

#18

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois
#15 in overall quality

McKendree University did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #18. Located in Lebanon, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 24 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

McKendree did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #15 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $16,659 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend McKendree University.

Read full report on Sociology at McKendree University

#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 small public school situated in Chicago, Illinois. It awarded 25 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for CSU is $11,844 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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.

Read more about Sociology at CSU

#20

North Central College

Naperville, Illinois
#5 in overall quality

North Central College landed the #20 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in Naperville, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school handed out 28 diplomas to qualified bachelors’s sociology 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 College is $20,128 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 3.9% 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 North Central Sociology Report

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois
#22 in overall quality

With a ranking of #21, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k 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 did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #22 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,692 for Illinois Bachelor’s Degree Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Millikin.

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.

Full Millikin University Sociology Report

#22

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois
#6 in overall quality

Illinois Wesleyan University landed the #22 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Illinois Wesleyan is a small school located in Bloomington, Illinois that handed out 6 bachelors’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan also made our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #6. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University 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 student loan default rate at the school is 1.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read more about Sociology at Illinois Wesleyan University

#23

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois
#13 in overall quality

Augustana College ranked #23 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Augustana College is located in Rock Island, Illinois and, has a small student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 5 bachelors’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

Augustana did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #13 on our “Best Sociology Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois” list. 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 student loan default rate at the school is 3.4%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Read full report on Sociology at Augustana

#24

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

Olivet Nazarene University came in at #24 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools for a Bachelor’s in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Olivet Nazarene University is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 1 bachelors’s sociology 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 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 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 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 $15,406 for illinois bachelor’s degree sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on 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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