2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
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.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 16 schools in Illinois to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for liberal arts students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
This ranking is not just a list of inexpensive schools. We also consider each school's quality, since we believe a low-quality school may not be a 'bargain' at any price. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
Top 10 Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor's Degree Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Western Illinois University the best value school in Illinois for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the remote town of Macomb, WIU is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WIU are $13,297 a year. 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.
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The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Eastern Illinois University helped the school earn the #2 place on this year’s ranking of the best value liberal arts general studies schools in Illinois. Located in the distant town of Charleston, EIU is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at EIU are $12,297 a year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at EIU accumulate an average of around $26,418 in student debt.
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A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Governors State University is a great value for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the rural area of University Park, GSU is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at GSU are $10,108 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from GSU carry an average student debtload of $37,471.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Springfield is a great value 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.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIS are $12,053 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from UIS take out $26,825 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Illinois State is a very large public school located in the suburb of Normal.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $13,968 per year. 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.
Illinois State not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list.
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Northeastern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #6 on the list. Northeastern Illinois University is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Chicago.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Northeastern Illinois University are $12,064 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from Northeastern Illinois University carry an average student debtload of $22,045.
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Northern Illinois University ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. NIU is a large public school located in the small suburb of Dekalb.
NIU undergraduate students pay an average of $14,738 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from NIU take out $30,661 in student loans while working on their Bachelor's Degree.
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for liberal arts general studies students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #8 on the list. SIUC is a large public school located in the small city of Carbondale.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUC are $15,240 a year. 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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Chicago State University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the city of Chicago, CSU is a public school with a small student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at CSU are $11,204 per year. After completing their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts graduates from CSU carry an average student debtload of $42,365.
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With a ranking of #10, DePaul University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for liberal arts general studies students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in the city of Chicago, DePaul is a private not-for-profit college with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at DePaul are $42,012 per year. While working on their Bachelor's Degree, liberal arts majors at DePaul accumulate an average of around $38,833 in student debt.
Request InformationBest Value Liberal Arts General Studies Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value 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 |
More Liberal Arts General Studies Rankings in Illinois
Liberal Arts General Studies Related Majors for Liberal Arts
Notes and References
*These averages are for the top 16 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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