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Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois

16 Colleges
$32,881 Avg Salary
$27,591 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, liberal arts general studies was ranked 2nd in Illinois. In fact, 18,292 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Or you may find the programs at a trade school to be a better alternative for you.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Course Advisor has created the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in Illinois to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best educational experiences for students. The factors used to develop this ranking include those related to how in-demand the school is, the overall quality of the school, and post-graduation wages, and more.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois

The colleges and universities below are the best for liberal arts majors pursuing a bachelor's degree.

Top 10 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern University the best school in Illinois for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern is a private not-for-profit college with a very large student population.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Northwestern University Report

#2

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend DePaul University. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at DePaul accumulate an average of around $38,833 in student debt.

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#3

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means University of Chicago is a great place for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UChicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at University of Chicago

The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Western Illinois University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best liberal arts general studies schools in Illinois. Located in the town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

Liberal Arts majors at WIU take out an average of $30,879 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $216.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Western Illinois University Report

Out of the 16 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Illinois State University landed the # 5 spot on the list. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from Illinois State carry an average student debtload of $25,086. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $327.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Illinois State University

#6

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, IL

With a ranking of #6, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at EIU accumulate an average of around $26,418 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts General Studies at Eastern Illinois University

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. NIU is a fairly large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.

On average, liberal arts graduates from NIU take out $30,661 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Northern Illinois University Report

#8

Quincy University

Quincy, IL

Quincy University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Quincy U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the town of Quincy.

After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from Quincy U carry an average student debtload of $24,476.

Full Liberal Arts General Studies at Quincy University Report

Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. SIUC is a fairly large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.

On average, liberal arts graduates from SIUC take out $26,953 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

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With a ranking of #10, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on this year’s best schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. UIS is a small public school located in the midsize city of Springfield.

On average, liberal arts graduates from UIS take out $26,825 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.

Read More…

Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 9,711
Ohio 11,432
Indiana 3,815
Wisconsin 2,376

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 16 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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