2023 Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois
Identifying High-Quality Schools With More Affordable Pricing
There are lots of options to pick from today when trying to decide which program is right for you. Along with traditional schools that require in-person attendence, you can attend one of many reputable online schools. Some programs even offer a hybrid experience. Alternatively, you may choose a trade school or bootcamp that prepares you to enter the workforce with knowledge in a specific field.
To help you arm yourself with the information you need to make your decision, Course Advisor has developed this Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 27 schools in Illinois to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best value experiences for students with the aim of identifying those quality schools that are more affordable than some of their counterparts.
When determining this ranking, we place a high emphasis on the school's quality as well as its sticker price. Even though a college may be affordable, it may not offer value. More specifically, we discount our quality score by the published tuition and fees charged by a school. This gives the cost per unit of quality for each college. The value is determined by how much quality your dollar buys.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. Average in-state tuition and fees are used for our statewide rankings.
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Top Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Concordia University, Chicago the best value school in Illinois for students working on their graduate certificate. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 80 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Concordia University, Chicago are $9,378 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Concordia University, Chicago. In fact, around 98% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Illinois State University is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate who want the most bang for their educational buck. Illinois State is a public institution located in Normal, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 278 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Illinois State graduate students pay an average of $11,773 in tuition and fees each year.
Online graduate courses are available at Illinois State, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 81% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
The excellent graduate certificate programs at Olivet Nazarene University helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in Illinois. Located in Bourbonnais, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 87 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Olivet Nazarene graduate students pay an average of $12,190 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at Olivet Nazarene. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
Olivet Nazarene also made our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list, coming in at #4.
The excellent graduate certificate programs at McKendree University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value schools in Illinois. McKendree is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lebanon, Illinois. It awarded 14 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
McKendree graduate students pay an average of $9,756 in tuition and fees each year.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since McKendree does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 68% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Governors State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Located in University Park, Illinois, the small public school awarded 7 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at GSU are $14,674 per year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at GSU. During the 2019-2020 year, about 35% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Out of the 27 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s value ranking, University of St Francis landed the # 5 spot on the list. Located in Joliet, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 80 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at University of Saint Francis are $13,839 a year.
University of Saint Francis does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 89% took at least some of their classes online.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, University of Saint Francis is ranked #3 for overall quality in Illinois.
University of Illinois at Springfield ranked #7 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. UIS is a public institution located in Springfield, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 26 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UIS are $16,757 a year. On average, graduate certificate students take out $22,872 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online graduate courses are available at UIS, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 96% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #8 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. SIUE is located in Edwardsville, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 36 graduate certificates to qualified students.
SIUE graduate students pay an average of $9,316 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at SIUE. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 86% took at least some of their classes online.
National Louis University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #9 on the list. This medium-sized private not-for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 134 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
NLU graduate students pay an average of $12,096 in tuition and fees each year.
One thing to take note of is that NLU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 59% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Western Illinois University came in at #10 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Macomb, Illinois, the medium-sized public school awarded 39 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at WIU are $12,182 per year.
One thing to take note of is that WIU does offer online graduate classes in some areas. During the 2019-2020 year, about 71% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Northern Illinois University came in at #11 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Northern Illinois University is a fairly large public school located in Dekalb, Illinois that handed out 30 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
NIU graduate students pay an average of $11,390 in tuition and fees each year.
NIU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 43% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #12, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. EIU is a medium-sized public school situated in Charleston, Illinois. It awarded 133 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
EIU graduate students pay an average of $21,407 in tuition and fees each year.
EIU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Lewis University came in at #13 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Lewis is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school situated in Romeoville, Illinois. It awarded 39 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Lewis are $14,960 a year.
Online graduate courses are available at Lewis, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 85% took at least some of their classes online.
University of Illinois at Chicago ranked #14 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. UIC is located in Chicago, Illinois and has a large student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 45 graduate certificates to qualified students.
UIC graduate students pay an average of $28,468 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UIC. In fact, around 95% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
UIC not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #5 on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list.
Bradley University came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Peoria, Illinois, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 32 diplomas to qualifed graduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Bradley are $17,400 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Bradley. During the 2019-2020 year, about 95% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.
Bradley excels when it comes to quality. It’s ranked in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list.
Chicago State University ranked #16 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the small public school handed out 5 graduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at CSU are $15,218 per year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at CSU. In 2019-2020 about 27% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the #17 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value graduate certificate programs. This large public school is located in Champaign, Illinois, and it awarded 9 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at UIUC are $30,862 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at UIUC. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 90% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Read full report on University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
DeVry University - Illinois ranked #18 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. DeVry University - Illinois is a private for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 821 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at DeVry University - Illinois are $17,552 a year.
Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at DeVry University - Illinois. In fact, around 97% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #18, Loyola University Chicago did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. This fairly large private not-for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 336 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state graduate students at Loyola Chicago are $19,894 a year.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Loyola Chicago. In fact, around 92% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Dominican University came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. This small private not-for-profit school is located in River Forest, Illinois, and it awarded 3 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Dominican U are $20,413 per year. On average, graduate certificate students take out $34,913 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online graduate courses are available at Dominican U, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 89% took at least some of their classes online.
Benedictine University came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Benedictine U is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Lisle, Illinois. It awarded 326 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Benedictine U graduate students pay an average of $19,640 in tuition and fees each year.
Benedictine U does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 100% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #22, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their graduate certificate. Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a fairly large public school located in Carbondale, Illinois that handed out 6 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at SIUC are $33,064 per year.
SIUC does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. In fact, around 24% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
DePaul University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #23 on the list. DePaul University is a large private not-for-profit school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 21 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
DePaul graduate students pay an average of $18,341 in tuition and fees each year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at DePaul. In fact, around 96% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Elmhurst University ranked #24 on this year’s Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school situated in Elmhurst, Illinois. It awarded 16 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for graduate students at Elmhurst are $32,800 per year.
You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Elmhurst. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 64% took at least some of their classes online.
Roosevelt University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #25 on the list. Roosevelt is a private not-for-profit institution located in Chicago, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 14 graduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Roosevelt graduate students pay an average of $21,605 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $26,458 in student loans.
Online graduate courses are available at Roosevelt, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 44% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
View Best Value Graduate Certificate Schools Nationwide >
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Notes and References
Footnotes
*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.
References
- 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 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).
- Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.
More about our data sources and methodologies.
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