Find Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois

95 Colleges
$27,957 Avg Salary
$14,623 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities School for You

In 2020-2021, liberal arts / sciences and humanities students earned 18,292 degrees and certificates from an Illinois school, making the subject the 3rd in the state.

There are so many programs in today's world that it can tough to figure out which one is the right one 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 Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Course Advisor has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 95 schools in Illinois to see which programs were the most popular for students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities program at each school on the list.

Check out the liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Illinois.

Our 2023 rankings named William Rainey Harper College the most popular school in Illinois for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Harper College is a large public school located in the suburb of Palatine.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at Harper College take out an average of $7,684 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois list. Harold Washington College is a medium-sized public school located in the large city of Chicago.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at Harold Washington College take out an average of $8,094 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College Report

#3

College of Lake County

Grayslake, IL

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means College of Lake County is a great place for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the suburb of Grayslake, College of Lake County is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from College of Lake County take out $7,250 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at College of Lake County

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Moraine Valley Community College. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois list. MVCC is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Palos Hills.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at MVCC take out is $8,250.

Read More…

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large city of Chicago, Wilbur Wright College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

After completing their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Wilbur Wright College carry an average student debt load of $6,634.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at City Colleges of Chicago - Wilbur Wright College

#6

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL

College of DuPage ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois list. COD is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Glen Ellyn.

While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at COD accumulate an average of around $10,119 in student debt.

Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at College of DuPage Report

Elgin Community College ranked #7 on this year’s Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois list. ECC is a moderately-sized public school located in the medium-sized city of Elgin.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at ECC take out is $7,000.

Read More…

#8

McHenry County College

Crystal Lake, IL

With a ranking of #8, McHenry County College did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. Located in the rural area of Crystal Lake, MCC is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from MCC take out $6,625 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at McHenry County College Report

#9

Oakton Community College

Des Plaines, IL

Oakton Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Des Plaines, Oakton Community College is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.

While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Oakton Community College accumulate an average of around $5,500 in student debt.

Read More…

#10

Joliet Junior College

Joliet, IL

Joliet Junior College ranked #10 on this year’s Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois list. Joliet Junior College is a fairly large public school located in the suburb of Joliet.

While working on their degree, liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Joliet Junior College accumulate an average of around $8,805 in student debt.

Read full report on Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Joliet Junior College

#11

Illinois Central College

East Peoria, IL

Illinois Central College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #11 on the list. ICC is a moderately-sized public school located in the large suburb of East Peoria.

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities majors at ICC take out an average of $6,937 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read More…

#12

Triton College

River Grove, IL

Triton College landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Located in the suburb of River Grove, Triton College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that liberal arts / sciences and humanities majors at Triton College take out is $8,750.

Read More…

Heartland Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the most popular schools for liberal arts / sciences and humanities students. It came in at #13 on the list. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Heartland Community College is a public school with a small student population.

On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Heartland Community College take out $11,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

#14

Rock Valley College

Rockford, IL

Rock Valley College landed the #14 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular liberal arts / sciences and humanities programs. Rock Valley College is a moderately-sized public school located in the midsize city of Rockford.

On average, liberal arts / sciences and humanities graduates from Rock Valley College take out $6,562 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities at Rock Valley College Report

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois award.

Rank College Location
15 Lake Land College Mattoon, IL
16 Black Hawk College Moline, IL
17 Lincoln Land Community College Springfield, IL
18 Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey, IL
19 Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, IL

Best Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

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

Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Liberal Arts General Studies 556,813

Majors Similar to Liberal Arts / Sciences & Humanities

Related Major Annual Graduates
Visual & Performing Arts 149,215
English Language & Literature 54,635
Foreign Languages & Linguistics 33,333
Theology & Religious Vocations 27,459
Philosophy & Religious Studies 19,993

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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Jacques Sablet (Switzerland, Morges, 1749-1803).

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

Find Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited colleges across the U.S.