2023 Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Illinois
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
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 Value Social Sciences Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 24 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best value programs for social sciences students. The goal was to highlight schools with more affordable prices than others offering similar quality experiences.
Our ranking of value is based on the quality of a program as defined in our per sticker price dollar. Specifically, our score for quality is discounted by the published tuition and fees charged by the given college. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The more quality your dollar buys, the better the value.
In our regional and nationwide rankings, out-of-state tution and fees are used in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Social Sciences Schools
Our analysis found Illinois State University to be the best value school for social sciences students who want to pursue a degree in Illinois. Located in the medium-sized suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Illinois State are $13,968 a year. 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.
Illinois State also claimed a spot on our Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 10% of all schools in this category.
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Out of the 24 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville landed the # 2 spot on the list. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public college with a fairly large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUE are $11,496 a year. The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at SIUE take out is $26,161.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Springfield. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Illinois list. Located in the midsize city of Springfield, UIS is a public college with a small student population.
UIS undergraduate students pay an average of $12,053 in in-state tuition and fees each year. After completing their degree, social sciences graduates from UIS carry an average student debtload of $27,000.
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The excellent programs at Western Illinois University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best social sciences schools in Illinois. WIU is a medium-sized public school located in the remote town of Macomb.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at WIU are $13,297 per year. While working on their degree, social sciences majors at WIU accumulate an average of around $32,566 in student debt.
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Out of the 24 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the # 5 spot on the list. UIUC is a very large public school located in the small city of Champaign.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIUC are $17,634 per year. 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.
UIUC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #3 on our Best Social Sciences Schools in Illinois list.
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale landed the #6 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social sciences programs. Located in the small city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
SIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $15,240 in in-state tuition and fees each year. 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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Eastern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Social Sciences Schools in Illinois ranking. EIU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Charleston.
EIU undergraduate students pay an average of $12,297 in in-state tuition and fees each year. The average amount in student loans that social sciences majors at EIU take out is $25,622. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $129.
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Northern Illinois University landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social sciences programs. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at NIU are $14,738 a year. While working on their degree, social sciences majors at NIU accumulate an average of around $25,451 in student debt. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $233.
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Northeastern Illinois University landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value social sciences programs. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at Northeastern Illinois University are $12,064 a year. On average, social sciences graduates from Northeastern Illinois University take out $16,605 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #10, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on this year’s best value schools for social sciences students. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIC are $15,603 per year. On average, social sciences graduates from UIC take out $21,305 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $185, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
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Request InformationBest Value Social Sciences Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value 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 |
More Social Sciences Rankings in Illinois
Majors Related to Social Sciences
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 |
Most Popular Majors Related to Social Sciences
| 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.
- 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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