2023 Best Value Undergraduate 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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 39 schools in Illinois to see which undergraduate 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 Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Rock Valley College the best value school in Illinois for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Rockford, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 184 students in 2020-2021.
Rock Valley College undergraduate students pay an average of $17,564 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $14,594 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Rock Valley College. In 2019-2020 about 86% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Rock Valley College not only placed well in our value ranking, but it is also #4 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Elgin Community College. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Elgin Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Elgin, Illinois that handed out 432 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at ECC are $9,516 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,701 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since ECC does offer online classes for certain majors. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 74% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Black Hawk College. It ranked #3 on our 2023 Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. BHC is a public institution located in Moline, Illinois. The school has a small population, and it awarded 313 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at BHC are $7,650 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $18,698 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that BHC does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 71% took at least some of their classes online.
Out of the 39 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s value ranking, John A Logan College landed the # 4 spot on the list. John A Logan College is located in Carterville, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 119 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at John A Logan College are $6,980 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $15,389 in loans while pursuing their degree.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since John A Logan College does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 46% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Out of the 39 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s value ranking, Rend Lake College landed the # 5 spot on the list. This small public school is located in Ina, Illinois, and it awarded 299 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rend Lake College are $6,750 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,002 in student loans.
Rend Lake College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 72% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Lincoln Land Community College ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. This small public school is located in Springfield, Illinois, and it awarded 133 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
LLCC undergraduate students pay an average of $10,068 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $10,607 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at LLCC. In 2019-2020 about 81% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
William Rainey Harper College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #7 on the list. Located in Palatine, Illinois, the fairly large public school awarded 1,020 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Harper College are $11,682 a year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $15,896 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Harper College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 86% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, Harper College also did well on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 15% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
College of Lake County did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #8 on the list. College of Lake County is a fairly large public school situated in Grayslake, Illinois. It awarded 890 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at College of Lake County are $12,824 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,182 in student loans.
One thing to take note of is that College of Lake County does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 91% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
In addition to its great value ranking, College of Lake County is in the top 20% of all schools on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list.
Carl Sandburg College landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate programs. Located in Galesburg, Illinois, the small public school awarded 356 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Carl Sandburg College undergraduate students pay an average of $8,760 in tuition and fees each year.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Carl Sandburg College. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 83% took at least some of their classes online.
Kaskaskia College landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate programs. Located in Centralia, Illinois, the small public school awarded 189 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Kaskaskia College are $12,330 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $9,996 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Kaskaskia College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 54% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.
Southwestern Illinois College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #11 on the list. Southwestern Illinois College is a medium-sized public school located in Belleville, Illinois that handed out 199 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at SWIC are $5,940 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $12,452 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at SWIC. In 2019-2020 about 53% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
McHenry County College came in at #12 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. McHenry County College is a medium-sized public school located in Crystal Lake, Illinois that handed out 466 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MCC are $14,449 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $12,159 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at MCC. In 2019-2020 about 50% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
MCC also took the #5 spot in our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois rankings.
Lake Land College landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate programs. Mattoon, Illinois is the setting for this small institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 479 students in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lake Land College are $13,906 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $9,767 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Lake Land College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 69% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Rasmussen University - Illinois came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. This small private for-profit school is located in Rockford, Illinois, and it awarded 106 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rasmussen University - Illinois are $13,883 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $20,381 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Rasmussen University - Illinois. In 2019-2020 about 99% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Rasmussen University - Illinois did well in our overall quality rankings, too. It placed #3 on our Best Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list.
DeVry University - Illinois came in at #15 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. This large private for-profit school is located in Chicago, Illinois, and it awarded 2,061 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
DeVry University - Illinois undergraduate students pay an average of $15,032 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $22,785 in loans while pursuing their degree.
DeVry University - Illinois does offer online classes for certain degree levels. During the 2019-2020 year, about 99% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
In addition to its best value ranking, and one of the reasons why the school is on the list, DeVry University - Illinois is ranked #2 for overall quality in Illinois.
Lewis and Clark Community College came in at #16 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Godfrey, Illinois, the small public school handed out 514 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Lewis and Clark Community College are $12,552 a year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $11,765 in student loans.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Lewis and Clark Community College. In fact, around 16% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
With a ranking of #17, John Wood Community College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in Quincy, Illinois, the small public school handed out 79 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at John Wood Community College are $8,190 a year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $10,326 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at John Wood Community College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 74% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Moraine Valley Community College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #18 on the list. Palos Hills, Illinois is the setting for this fairly large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out undergraduate certificates to 226 students in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at MVCC are $9,334 per year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $17,041 in loans while pursuing their degree.
MVCC does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 78% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Kishwaukee College did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for students to get an undergraduate certificate. It came in at #19 on the list. Kishwaukee College is located in Malta, Illinois and has a small student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 214 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Kishwaukee College undergraduate students pay an average of $13,800 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $13,967 in loans while pursuing their degree.
One thing to take note of is that Kishwaukee College does offer online classes in some areas. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 98% took at least some of their classes online.
Waubonsee Community College came in at #20 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking. Waubonsee is located in Sugar Grove, Illinois and has a medium-sized student population. In 2020-2021, this school awarded 92 undergraduate certificates to qualified students.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Waubonsee are $10,076 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $17,164 in student loans.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Waubonsee. In 2019-2020 about 70% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Oakton Community College landed the #21 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate programs. Oakton Community College is a medium-sized public school located in Des Plaines, Illinois that handed out 379 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Oakton Community College undergraduate students pay an average of $12,462 in tuition and fees each year. On average, undergraduate certificate students take out $17,358 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Oakton Community College. During the 2019-2020 year, about 91% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Richland Community College ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Richland Community College is a small public school situated in Decatur, Illinois. It awarded 207 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Richland Community College are $19,260 per year.
Richland Community College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. In fact, around 59% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Joliet Junior College landed the #23 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value undergraduate certificate programs. Joliet Junior College is a fairly large public school located in Joliet, Illinois that handed out 392 undergraduate certificates in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Joliet Junior College are $13,410 per year. By the time they get their undergraduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $16,047 in student loans.
Joliet Junior College does offer online classes for certain degree levels. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 96% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #24, City Colleges of Chicago - Malcolm X College did quite well on this year’s best value schools for students working on their undergraduate certificate. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the medium-sized public school handed out 334 undergraduate certificate awards in 2020-2021.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Malcolm X College are $14,430 per year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $16,095 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at Malcolm X College, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 97% took at least some of their classes online.
Olney Central College ranked #25 on this year’s Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list. Located in Olney, Illinois, the very small public school awarded 87 diplomas to qualifed undergraduate certificate students in 2020-2021.
Olney Central College undergraduate students pay an average of $12,082 in tuition and fees each year. Undergraduate Certificate recipients from this school accumulate an average of $8,619 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Olney Central College. In fact, around 39% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.
Best Value Undergraduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region
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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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