2023 Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
Finding the Best Sociology School for You
In 2020-2021, 841 degrees and certificates were awarded to sociology students who went to a Illinois college or university. This makes it the #48 most popular major 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.
To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Course Advisor has created its Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois ranking. This report analyzed 25 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best value programs for sociology 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. 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.
For nationwide and regional rankings, we use out-of-state tuition and fees in our calculations. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
Top 10 Best Sociology Schools
Our 2023 rankings named Illinois State University the best value school in Illinois for sociology students. Located in the suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public school with a very large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Illinois State are $13,968 per year. The average amount in student loans that sociology majors at Illinois State take out is $25,000. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $224, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, Illinois State also is in the top 10% of our Best Sociology Schools in Illinois ranking.
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You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Southern Illinois University Edwardsville. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois list. Located in the large suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public college with a large student population.
SIUE undergraduate students pay an average of $11,496 in in-state tuition and fees each year. While working on their degree, sociology majors at SIUE accumulate an average of around $29,494 in student debt.
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The excellent programs at Western Illinois University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best sociology schools in Illinois. WIU is a moderately-sized public school located in the remote town of Macomb.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at WIU are $13,297 a year. After completing their degree, sociology graduates from WIU carry an average student debtload of $38,132.
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A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Eastern Illinois University is a great value for sociology students. EIU is a medium-sized public school located in the town of Charleston.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at EIU are $12,297 per year. The average amount in student loans that sociology majors at EIU take out is $26,250. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $129.
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Out of the 25 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 city of Champaign.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIUC are $17,634 per year. Sociology majors at UIUC take out an average of $20,500 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $301.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, UIUC is ranked #3 for overall quality for sociology in Illinois.
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Northern Illinois University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public school with a fairly large student population.
In-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at NIU are $14,738 per year. Sociology majors at NIU take out an average of $27,500 in student loans while working on their egree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $233.
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With a ranking of #7, Northeastern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for sociology students. Located in the large city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public school with a moderately-sized student population.
Northeastern Illinois University undergraduate students pay an average of $12,064 in in-state tuition and fees each year. On average, sociology graduates from Northeastern Illinois University take out $15,125 in student loans while working on their degree.
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With a ranking of #8, University of Illinois at Chicago did quite well on this year’s best value schools for sociology students. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public school with a very large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at UIC are $15,603 a year. On average, sociology graduates from UIC take out $20,250 in student loans while working on their degree. For students who choose a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly student loan payment is $136.
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Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value schools for sociology students. It came in at #9 on the list. Located in the city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public college with a large student population.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at SIUC are $15,240 a year. The average amount in student loans that sociology majors at SIUC take out is $23,250.
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Chicago State University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Value Sociology Schools in Illinois list. CSU is a small public school located in the large city of Chicago.
The average tuition and fees for an in-state undergraduate at CSU are $11,204 a year. After completing their degree, sociology graduates from CSU carry an average student debtload of $42,750.
Request InformationBest Value Sociology Colleges in the Great Lakes Region
Explore all the Best Value Sociology Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.
| State | Degrees Awarded |
|---|---|
| Michigan | 551 |
| Ohio | 702 |
| Indiana | 471 |
| Wisconsin | 504 |
More Sociology Rankings in Illinois
Majors Related to Sociology
Sociology is one of 12 different types of programs to choose from.
Most Popular Related Majors
| Related Major | Annual Graduates |
|---|---|
| Political Science & Government | 49,282 |
| Economics | 49,055 |
| General Social Sciences | 18,997 |
| International Relations & National Security | 14,306 |
| Anthropology | 11,415 |
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 Kontos.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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