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Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois

Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices

41 Colleges
$22,802 Avg Tuition & Fees*
$51,906 Avg Salary

Finding the Best Accounting School for You

Accounting is one of the most popular subjects to study in Illinois. With 3,151 degrees and certificates handed out in 2020-2021, it ranked 9th out of all the majors we track in the state.

There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 41 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best value programs for accounting students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.

When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.

Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.

2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best value schools for accounting majors pursuing a .

Top 10 Best Accounting Schools

$17,634 Average Tuition & Fees

Our 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the best value school in Illinois for accounting students. Located in the small city of Champaign, UIUC is a public school with a very large student population.

UIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $17,634 in in-state tuition and fees each year. Accounting majors at UIUC take out an average of $18,854 in student loans while working on their egree. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $318, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

UIUC did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Accounting Schools in Illinois list.

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$13,968 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Illinois State University is a great value for accounting students. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the midsize suburb of Normal.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Illinois State are $13,968 a year. While working on their degree, accounting majors at Illinois State accumulate an average of around $21,500 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $303, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Illinois State excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 10% of all schools on our Best Accounting Schools in Illinois list.

Read full report on Accounting at Illinois State University

$6,390 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southwestern Illinois College. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of Belleville, SWIC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SWIC are $6,390 a year.

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$11,496 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois list. SIUE is a large public school located in the suburb of Edwardsville.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SIUE are $11,496 per year. On average, accounting graduates from SIUE take out $20,936 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $204.

Full Accounting at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report

$13,883 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Rasmussen University - Illinois is a great value for accounting students. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a small private for-profit school located in the city of Rockford.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Rasmussen University - Illinois are $13,883 a year. After completing their degree, accounting graduates from Rasmussen University - Illinois carry an average student debtload of $25,271.

In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, Rasmussen University - Illinois is ranked #5 for overall quality for accounting in Illinois.

Read full report on Accounting at Rasmussen University - Illinois

$14,738 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Northern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for accounting students. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NIU are $14,738 a year. On average, accounting graduates from NIU take out $19,379 in student loans while working on their degree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $177.

Read full report on Accounting at Northern Illinois University

$12,053 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois list. UIS is a small public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIS are $12,053 a year. On average, accounting graduates from UIS take out $20,102 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Accounting at University of Illinois at Springfield Report

$13,297 Average Tuition & Fees

Western Illinois University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value accounting programs. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WIU are $13,297 a year. Accounting majors at WIU take out an average of $31,899 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Accounting at Western Illinois University

#9

Governors State University

University Park, IL
$10,108 Average Tuition & Fees

Governors State University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value accounting programs. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.

GSU undergraduate students pay an average of $10,108 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, accounting graduates from GSU carry an average student debtload of $22,125.

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$15,603 Average Tuition & Fees

University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Accounting Schools in Illinois list. UIC is a fairly large public school located in the city of Chicago.

In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIC are $15,603 per year. Accounting majors at UIC take out an average of $18,500 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $240.

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Best Value Accounting Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Value Accounting Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,435
Ohio 3,278
Indiana 1,707
Wisconsin 1,606

One of 21 majors within the area of study, accounting has other similar majors worth exploring.

Majors Similar to Accounting

Related Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 416,590
Finance & Financial Management 57,778
General Business/Commerce 56,042
Marketing 52,916
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 43,382

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 26 schools only.

  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Pixabay.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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