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Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois

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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 fairly 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.

Full Social Sciences at Northwestern University Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Out of the 24 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Chicago landed the # 2 spot on the list. 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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Chicago

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Wheaton College Illinois. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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

Full Social Sciences at Wheaton College Illinois Report

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 fairly large public school located in the small 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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#5

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Lake Forest College is a great place for social sciences students. 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.

Read More…

#6

Dominican University

River Forest, IL

Dominican University landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best social sciences programs. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest.

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

Read full report on Social Sciences at Dominican University

Illinois State University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a very 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.

Full Social Sciences at Illinois State University Report

#8

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL

With a ranking of #8, Elmhurst University did quite well on this year’s best schools for social sciences students. 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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Elmhurst University

With a ranking of #9, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s best schools for social sciences students. Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public school 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.

Read full report on Social Sciences at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

#10

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL

Augustana College ranked #10 on this year’s Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois list. Located in the small city of Rock Island, Augustana is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

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

Read More…

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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