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Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois

2023 Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois

24 Colleges
$38,297 Avg Salary
$24,092 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Social Sciences School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, social sciences was ranked 9th in Illinois. In fact, 5,866 were awarded in the state in 2020-2021.

It's not easy to decide which program to enroll in when you have so many options available. As online education oppotunities continue to grow, you're not restricted to just schools in your local area anymore. Even some of the 'big name' schools are offering online courses. Also, there are a number of trade schools with offerings that you might find attractive.

To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 24 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois

Check out the social sciences programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Social Sciences Schools

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern University the best school in Illinois for social sciences students. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.

While working on their degree, social sciences majors at Northwestern accumulate an average of around $15,919 in student debt. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $456.

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#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Chicago is a great place for social sciences students. Located in the city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from UChicago carry an average student debtload of $14,944. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $708.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Wheaton College Illinois. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at Wheaton College Illinois take out is $24,472.

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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois list. UIUC is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign.

On average, social sciences graduates from UIUC take out $20,188 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $337, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Report

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#5

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL

The excellent programs at Lake Forest College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best social sciences schools in Illinois. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lake Forest.

On average, social sciences graduates from Lake Forest take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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#6

Dominican University

River Forest, IL

Dominican University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best schools for social sciences students. It came in at #6 on the list. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of River Forest.

On average, social sciences graduates from Dominican U take out $27,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

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Illinois State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

On average, social sciences graduates from Illinois State take out $23,378 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $271.

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#8

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL

Elmhurst University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social sciences programs. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Elmhurst.

Social Sciences majors at Elmhurst take out an average of $27,000 in student loans while working on their egree.

Full Social Sciences at Elmhurst University Report

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Southern Illinois University Carbondale came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public college with a large student population.

While working on their degree, social sciences majors at SIUC accumulate an average of around $24,349 in student debt. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $161, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

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#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL

With a ranking of #10, Augustana College did quite well on this year’s best schools for social sciences students. Located in the city of Rock Island, Augustana is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at Augustana take out is $26,999.

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Best Social Sciences Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Social Sciences Schools in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Indiana 2,941
Michigan 4,213
Ohio 4,915
Wisconsin 3,504

Social Sciences Majors to Study

Major Annual Graduates
Political Science & Government 49,282
Economics 49,055
Sociology 38,475
General Social Sciences 18,997
International Relations & National Security 14,306
Anthropology 11,415
Criminology 11,039
Geography & Cartography 8,526
Other Social Sciences 2,414
Urban Studies 1,507
Sociology & Anthropology 541
Archeology 339
Demography & Population Studies 88

Related Major Annual Graduates
Education 327,871
Psychology 195,678
Communication & Journalism 120,571
Family, Consumer & Human Sciences 55,820
History 32,731

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 24 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to AndrГ© KГјnzelmann.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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