Best Colleges in Illinois by ROI
Trying to find the best value in Illinois? We ranked all 56 colleges we track here on what graduates actually earn versus what families actually pay, using U.S. Department of Education data. University of Chicago comes out on top at 98/100 - here's how every school compares.
We scored all 56 Illinois colleges in our dataset from 0 to 100 on one thing: financial return. The state averages 57/100, on an average net price of $20,239 a year after grants and scholarships. The school that does best by your money is University of Chicago at 98/100.
Graduates of Chamberlain University-Illinois earn the most ten years out of any school in the state, a median $92,405. The lightest price tag belongs to Trinity International University-Illinois at $2,835 a year. The list below ranks every Illinois college we scored by ROI, so you can weigh what you'd pay against what you'd likely earn.
Top 10 Illinois Colleges by ROI Score
- 1University of ChicagoChicago, IL · Private NonprofitNet price$14,860/yrMedian earnings$91,88598ROI
- 2Northwestern UniversityEvanston, IL · Private NonprofitNet price$29,167/yrMedian earnings$89,36394ROI
- 3University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignChampaign, IL · PublicNet price$14,355/yrMedian earnings$81,05493ROI
- 4Illinois Institute of TechnologyChicago, IL · Private NonprofitNet price$18,425/yrMedian earnings$82,59292ROI
- 5University of Illinois ChicagoChicago, IL · PublicNet price$10,974/yrMedian earnings$68,74085ROI
- 6University of St FrancisJoliet, IL · Private NonprofitNet price$13,006/yrMedian earnings$63,92682ROI
- 7Lewis UniversityRomeoville, IL · Private NonprofitNet price$17,028/yrMedian earnings$66,09977ROI
- 8Bradley UniversityPeoria, IL · Private NonprofitNet price$22,719/yrMedian earnings$66,85275ROI
- 9Chamberlain University-IllinoisAddison, IL · Private For-ProfitNet price$31,837/yrMedian earnings$92,40575ROI
- 10Illinois State UniversityNormal, IL · PublicNet price$19,398/yrMedian earnings$62,11774ROI
Illinois College ROI: Common Questions
What is the best-value college in Illinois?
University of Chicago has the highest ROI score in Illinois at 98/100, while the lowest net price among Illinois schools we track is $2,835/year at Trinity International University-Illinois. Rankings are based on net price and median graduate earnings from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
How much does college cost in Illinois?
The average net price across the 56 Illinois colleges in our dataset is $20,239 per year, after grants and scholarships are applied. Actual cost varies widely by family income and institution.
Which Illinois college has the highest graduate earnings?
Chamberlain University-Illinois reports the highest median earnings among Illinois schools we scored, at $92,405 ten years after enrollment. Higher earnings do not always mean better ROI, since cost matters just as much.
How many colleges in Illinois did CampusROI analyze?
We scored 56 colleges in Illinois on return on investment. Of those, 28 earn an ROI score of 60 or higher. See our methodology for how each score is calculated.
All Illinois Schools by ROI Score
56 schools
University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL
University of St Francis
Joliet, IL
Lewis University
Romeoville, IL
Bradley University
Peoria, IL
Chamberlain University-Illinois
Addison, IL
Illinois State University
Normal, IL
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, IL
Saint Xavier University
Chicago, IL
University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield, IL
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL
DePaul University
Chicago, IL
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, IL
Dominican University
River Forest, IL
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL
Aurora University
Aurora, IL
Northern Illinois University
Dekalb, IL
Benedictine University
Lisle, IL
North Park University
Chicago, IL
Governors State University
University Park, IL
North Central College
Naperville, IL
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Carbondale, IL
Judson University
Elgin, IL
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, IL
Northeastern Illinois University
Chicago, IL
Eastern Illinois University
Charleston, IL
Western Illinois University
Macomb, IL
Trinity International University-Illinois
Deerfield, IL
McKendree University
Lebanon, IL
Illinois College
Jacksonville, IL
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL
Concordia University-Chicago
River Forest, IL
Rockford University
Rockford, IL
Methodist College
Peoria, IL
Monmouth College
Monmouth, IL
Knox College
Galesburg, IL
Eureka College
Eureka, IL
VanderCook College of Music
Chicago, IL
National Louis University
Chicago, IL
Millikin University
Decatur, IL
Quincy University
Quincy, IL
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago, IL
Roosevelt University
Chicago, IL
Blackburn College
Carlinville, IL
Greenville University
Greenville, IL
Hebrew Theological College
Skokie, IL
School of the Art Institute of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Columbia College Chicago
Chicago, IL
Chicago State University
Chicago, IL
East-West University
Chicago, IL
Data: 2024-25 College Scorecard release