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2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

29 Ranked Colleges
860 Degrees Awarded
$14,000 Avg Net Price*
Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

When it comes to choosing a college, students have a lot of options - but not all of them are good. College Factual has developed its “Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking as one item you can use to help make this decision.

Sociology is the 20th most popular major in the country with 37,747 degrees awarded in 2019-2020.

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

This year’s “Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k” ranking looked at 29 colleges that offer degrees in a bachelor’s in sociology. The schools that top this list are recognized because they have great sociology programs and cost less that schools of similar quality.

To come up with these rankings, we looked at factors such as the cost to attend the school after aid is awarded and overall quality of the sociology program at the school. Check out our ranking methodology for more information.

More Ways to Rank Sociology Schools

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 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. If you’re torn between two schools, you can use it to help you see how they stack up against one another. Bookmark it so you can compare any new schools that might interest you.

Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k

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

Top 25 Best Value 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 in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Evanston, Illinois, this large private not-for-profit school awarded 44 degrees to qualified ’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Northwestern, the school also landed the #2 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Northwestern University is $3,995 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The low student loan default rate of 0.8% is a good sign that students have an easier time paying off their loans than they might at other schools. For comparison, the national default rate is 10.1%. Students who start out at the school are likely to stick around. The freshman retention rate is 97%. Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 6 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors.

Read full report on Sociology at Northwestern

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Chicago. It ranked #2 on our 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. UChicago is a fairly large school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 51 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, UChicago has also earned the #1 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $2,800 for illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend UChicago.

Since the school has a student-to-faculty ratio of 5 to 1, those pursuing a degree will have more opportunities to interact with their professors. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 100%, 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 0.6%, which is much lower than the national rate of 10.1%.

Full University of Chicago 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 in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 74 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

UIUC not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #3 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for UIUC is $8,464 for illinois 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%.

Full University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Sociology Report

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #4 for the Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a fairly large school located in Edwardsville, Illinois that handed out 39 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUE did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #19 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $9,938 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville.

Read more about Sociology at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

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 in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k. UIC is a public institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 80 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

UIC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #8 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $11,185 for Illinois 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%.

Read full report on Sociology at UIC

#6

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois

Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school situated in Dekalb, Illinois. It awarded 75 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, NIU has also earned the #10 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Northern Illinois University is $15,861 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at NIU

#7

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois

Eastern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Eastern Illinois University is located in Charleston, Illinois and, has a medium-sized student population. In 2019-2020, this school awarded 28 ’s sociology degrees to qualified students.

In addition to being on our illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, EIU has also earned the #18 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend EIU is $11,316 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at EIU

#8

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, Illinois

Saint Xavier University landed the #8 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. This small school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 9 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

SXU did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #17 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend SXU is $11,962 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Full SXU Sociology Report

#9

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois

Illinois State University ranked #9 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This large school is located in Normal, Illinois, and it awarded 83 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois State did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #7 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois State University is $14,999 for illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%.

Full Illinois State Sociology Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #10. SIUC is a fairly large school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 9 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

SIUC did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #21 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $14,306 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend SIUC.

Read full report on Sociology at SIUC

#11

Illinois College

Jacksonville, Illinois

Illinois College did quite well in the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking, coming in at #11. Illinois College is a private not-for-profit institution located in Jacksonville, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Illinois College has also earned the #20 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Illinois College is $12,454 for illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at Illinois College

#12

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois

Western Illinois University landed the #12 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools 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 20 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

WIU not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #22 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend WIU is $14,526 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at WIU

#13

Wheaton College Illinois

Wheaton, Illinois

Wheaton College Illinois ranked #13 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Wheaton College Illinois is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Wheaton, Illinois. It awarded 9 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Wheaton College Illinois also made our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #4. The estimated yearly cost for Wheaton College Illinois is $16,212 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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. With a freshman retention rate of 90%, the school does an excellent job of retaining its students. 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%.

Full Wheaton College Illinois Sociology Report

#14

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois

Dominican University landed the #14 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools 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 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Dominican U also took the #14 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend Dominican University is $17,586 for illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

The impressive student-to-faculty ratio of 10 to 1 means that students may have more opportunities to work more closely with their professors than they would at other schools.

Read full report on Sociology at Dominican U

#15

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois

Elmhurst University ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Elmhurst, Illinois, and it awarded 19 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

Elmhurst did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #12 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. It costs about $17,837 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Elmhurst University.

The student loan default rate at the school is 3.0%, which is quite low when compared to the national default rate of 10.1%.

Full Elmhurst Sociology Report

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

Northeastern Illinois University did well in our major quality rankings, too. It placed #25 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. The estimated yearly cost for Northeastern Illinois University is $15,513 for illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read full report on Sociology at Northeastern Illinois University

#17

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois

With a ranking of #17, Bradley University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Peoria, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 11 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at Bradley, the school also landed the #11 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The estimated yearly cost for Bradley is $18,232 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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

Full Bradley University Sociology Report

#18

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. McKendree University is a small school located in Lebanon, Illinois that handed out 24 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

As a testament to the quality of education offered at McKendree, the school also landed the #16 spot in our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” ranking. The yearly cost to attend McKendree is $16,659 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

Read more about Sociology at McKendree

#19

Chicago State University

Chicago, Illinois

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

It costs about $11,844 for illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend CSU.

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

North Central College ranked #20 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. This small school is located in Naperville, Illinois, and it awarded 28 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

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

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 College Sociology Report

#21

Millikin University

Decatur, Illinois

With a ranking of #21, Millikin University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Located in Decatur, Illinois, this small private not-for-profit school awarded 9 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

Millikin also made our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list, coming in at #23. It costs about $17,692 for Illinois 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.

Read more about Sociology at Millikin University

#22

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, Illinois

With a ranking of #22, Illinois Wesleyan University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution located in Bloomington, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 6 ’s degrees in 2019-2020.

Illinois Wesleyan not only placed well in this ranking. It is also #6 on our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” list. The yearly cost to attend Illinois Wesleyan University is $19,857 for Illinois Sociology students whose families make $30-$48k.

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%. The school has an excellent freshman retention rate of 87%, which means students like the school well enough to return for a second year.

Read more about Sociology at Illinois Wesleyan University

#23

Augustana College

Rock Island, Illinois

Augustana College landed the #23 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Rock Island, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out ’s sociology degrees to 5 students in 2019-2020.

In addition to being on our illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k list, Augustana has also earned the #13 rank in our “Best Sociology Schools in Illinois” ranking. It costs about $16,249 for illinois 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 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 Augustana College Sociology Report

#24

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

With a ranking of #24, Olivet Nazarene University did quite well on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k list. Olivet Nazarene is a small school located in Bourbonnais, Illinois that handed out 1 ’s sociology degrees in 2019-2020.

It costs about $15,390 for illinois sociology students whose families make $30-$48k per year to attend Olivet Nazarene University.

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 Olivet Nazarene University

#25

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois

Concordia University, Chicago landed the #25 spot on the 2022 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois For Those Making $30-$48k ranking. Located in River Forest, Illinois, this medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 2 diplomas to qualified ’s sociology students in 2019-2020.

The estimated yearly cost for Concordia University, Chicago is $15,406 for illinois 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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