2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Illinois
Identifying Quality Schools at More Affordable Prices
Finding the Best Liberal Arts General Studies 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 assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 58 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best value programs for liberal arts students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
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 Schools
Our analysis found Lincoln Land Community College to be the best value school for liberal arts general studies students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. LLCC is a small public school located in the medium-sized city of Springfield.
LLCC undergraduate students pay an average of $6,840 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, liberal arts graduates from LLCC take out $11,055 in student loans while working on their degree.
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A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Southwestern Illinois College is a great value for liberal arts general studies students. Located in the large suburb of Belleville, SWIC is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SWIC are $6,390 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at SWIC take out is $8,405.
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You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Elgin Community College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Elgin, ECC is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ECC are $7,140 per year. On average, liberal arts graduates from ECC take out $7,000 in student loans while working on their degree.
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Out of the 58 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Black Hawk College landed the # 4 spot on the list. Located in the city of Moline, BHC is a public college with a small student population.
BHC undergraduate students pay an average of $7,500 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at BHC take out is $7,500.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Waubonsee Community College. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Illinois list. Waubonsee is a moderately-sized public school located in the rural area of Sugar Grove.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Waubonsee are $9,271 a year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at Waubonsee take out is $7,250.
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William Rainey Harper College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #6 on the list. Located in the large suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a public college with a large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Harper College are $9,870 per year. Liberal Arts majors at Harper College take out an average of $7,684 in student loans while working on their egree.
In addition to its great value ranking, Harper College is in the top 15% of all schools on our Best Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Illinois list.
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Shawnee Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for liberal arts general studies students. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in the remote area of Ullin, Shawnee Community College is a public college with a small student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Shawnee Community College are $6,090 a year.
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Rock Valley College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the midsize city of Rockford, Rock Valley College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.
Rock Valley College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,924 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from Rock Valley College carry an average student debtload of $6,562.
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College of DuPage landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value liberal arts general studies programs. Located in the large suburb of Glen Ellyn, COD is a public college with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at COD are $9,750 per year. After completing their degree, liberal arts graduates from COD carry an average student debtload of $10,119.
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College of Lake County came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Liberal Arts General Studies Schools in Illinois ranking. College of Lake County is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Grayslake.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at College of Lake County are $9,632 per year. The average amount in student loans that liberal arts majors at College of Lake County take out is $7,250.
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 25 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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