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2023 Best Value Trade School Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Highlighting Quality Schools With More Affordable Prices
Today's trade school students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. You can choose a traditional brick and mortar school, or with the growth of online education, you can attend a school half-way across the country without even leaving your house.
The Best Value Trade School Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Trade College Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 32 schools in Illinois to see which bachelor's degree programs offered the best value experiences for trade school 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. 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.
Our calculations use out-of-state tuition and fees in our nationwide and regional rankings. For statewide rankings, we use average in-state tuition and fees.
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Top Value Trade Bachelor's Degree Schools in Illinois
Learn more about these excellent schools below:
Our 2023 rankings named Illinois State University the best value school in Illinois for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Normal, Illinois, the large public school handed out 4,495 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Illinois State undergraduate students pay an average of $23,209 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $19,765 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Illinois State. During the 2020-2021 year, about 42% 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, Illinois State is ranked #5 for overall quality in Illinois.
You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Springfield. It ranked #2 on our 2023 Best Value Trade School Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in Springfield, Illinois, the small public school awarded 608 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at UIS are $19,282 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $21,154 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online 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. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 94% took at least some of their classes online.
You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend National Louis University. The school came in at #3 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 799 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at NLU are $14,244 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,783 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
One thing to take note of is that NLU does offer online classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 51% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
NLU also took the #4 spot in our Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in Illinois rankings.
The excellent bachelor’s degree programs at Northern Illinois University helped the school earn the #4 place on this year’s ranking of the best value trade school schools in Illinois. NIU is located in Dekalb, Illinois and has a fairly large student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 2,844 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at NIU are $12,472 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $23,475 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at NIU. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 74% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
As a testament to the quality of education it offers, NIU also is in the top 20% of our Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in Illinois ranking.
A rank of #5 on this year’s list means Rasmussen University - Illinois is a great place for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree who want the most bang for their educational buck. Rasmussen University - Illinois is a small private for-profit school located in Rockford, Illinois that handed out 5 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Rasmussen University - Illinois are $14,294 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $28,981 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Rasmussen University - Illinois. During the 2020-2021 year, about 65% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Western Illinois University ranked #6 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Macomb, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,237 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at WIU are $13,661 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $26,033 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at WIU. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 83% took at least some of their classes online.
Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #7 on the list. SIUC is a public institution located in Carbondale, Illinois. The school has a fairly large population, and it awarded 2,016 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at SIUC are $15,416 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $22,422 in student loans.
SIUC does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2020-2021 year, about 46% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
With a ranking of #8, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Charleston, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,132 students in 2021-2022.
EIU undergraduate students pay an average of $15,274 in tuition and fees each year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $22,026 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at EIU. In fact, around 39% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
With a ranking of #9, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. UIUC is a large public school situated in Champaign, Illinois. It awarded 9,150 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
UIUC undergraduate students pay an average of $38,362 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $19,078 in student loans.
If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since UIUC does offer online classes for certain majors. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 91% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
On top of its placing in our value ranking, UIUC also did well on our Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in Illinois list. It’s in the top 20% of all schools reviewed in this analysis.
Read full report on University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois at Chicago landed the #10 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Chicago, Illinois is the setting for this large institution of higher learning. The public school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 5,250 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at UIC are $30,841 a year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $18,464 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Online courses are available at UIC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2020-2021 year, about 97% of the undergraduates at the school took at least one online course.
Governors State University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #11 on the list. Governors State University is a small public school located in University Park, Illinois that handed out 665 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
GSU undergraduate students pay an average of $17,980 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $20,201 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at GSU. In fact, around 81% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
Chicago State University landed the #12 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree trade school programs. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the small public school handed out 301 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at CSU are $12,018 a year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $31,257 in student loans.
Online courses are available at CSU, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 64% of the undergraduate population registered for at least one online class in 2020-2021.
DeVry University - Illinois landed the #13 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree trade school programs. DeVry University - Illinois is a private for-profit institution located in Naperville, Illinois. The school has a large population, and it awarded 1,581 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
DeVry University - Illinois undergraduate students pay an average of $15,032 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $40,596 in student loans.
Online courses are available at DeVry University - Illinois, 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, 99% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
University of St Francis came in at #14 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in Joliet, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 437 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at University of Saint Francis are $36,000 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $23,804 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at University of Saint Francis. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 79% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
University of Saint Francis also made our Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in Illinois list, coming in at #1.
Concordia University, Chicago ranked #15 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Concordia University, Chicago is located in River Forest, Illinois and has a medium-sized student population. In 2021-2022, this school awarded 329 bachelor’s degrees to qualified students.
Concordia University, Chicago undergraduate students pay an average of $34,964 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,139 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Online courses are available at Concordia University, Chicago, 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, 69% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Concordia University, Chicago also made our Best Bachelor’s Degree Trade Schools in Illinois list, coming in at #3.
With a ranking of #16, Roosevelt University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school handed out 687 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Roosevelt are $33,068 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $23,910 in loans while pursuing their degree.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Roosevelt. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 58% took at least some of their classes online.
With a ranking of #17, Illinois Institute of Technology did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Located in Chicago, Illinois, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school handed out 627 bachelor’s degree awards in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Illinois Tech are $50,279 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $24,274 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Illinois Tech does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2020-2021 year, about 40% 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, Illinois Tech is ranked #2 for overall quality in Illinois.
Aurora University came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Value Trade School Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. Aurora University is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in Aurora, Illinois that handed out 1,249 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Aurora undergraduate students pay an average of $27,420 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $21,160 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Depending on your major, you may be able to take online classes at Aurora. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 16% took at least some of their classes online.
North Park University landed the #19 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best value bachelor’s degree trade school programs. North Park University is a small private not-for-profit school located in Chicago, Illinois that handed out 369 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
North Park undergraduate students pay an average of $34,020 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $25,848 in student loans.
Online courses are available at North Park, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2020-2021 about 36% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Quincy University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #20 on the list. Located in Quincy, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 226 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
Quincy U undergraduate students pay an average of $31,940 in tuition and fees each year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $24,791 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Quincy U. In 2020-2021 about 67% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
With a ranking of #21, Bradley University did quite well on this year’s best value schools for trade school students working on their bachelor’s degree. Peoria, Illinois is the setting for this medium-sized institution of higher learning. The private not-for-profit school handed out bachelor’s degrees to 1,190 students in 2021-2022.
The average tuition and fees for an out-of-state undergraduate students at Bradley are $37,800 a year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $22,974 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Bradley does have options available for those who want to take online classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the undergraduates enrolled at the school during the 2020-2021 academic year, around 45% took at least some of their classes online.
Lewis University ranked #22 on this year’s Best Value Trade School Bachelor’s Degree Schools in Illinois list. Located in Romeoville, Illinois, the medium-sized private not-for-profit school awarded 1,124 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
Lewis undergraduate students pay an average of $36,530 in tuition and fees each year. By the time they get their bachelor’s degree, students from this school have racked up an average of $21,218 in student loans.
You may have the opportunity to take online classes at Lewis. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
McKendree University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #23 on the list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Lebanon, Illinois, and it awarded 440 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at McKendree are $33,430 per year. Bachelor’s Degree recipients from this school accumulate an average of $21,750 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at McKendree. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 55% of undergraduates took at least one course online in 2020-2021.
Wheaton College Illinois did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #24 on the list. This small private not-for-profit school is located in Wheaton, Illinois, and it awarded 648 bachelor’s degrees in 2021-2022.
Wheaton College Illinois undergraduate students pay an average of $42,240 in tuition and fees each year.
Elmhurst University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best value places for trade school students to get a bachelor’s degree. It came in at #25 on the list. Located in Elmhurst, Illinois, the small private not-for-profit school awarded 831 diplomas to qualifed bachelor’s degree students in 2021-2022.
Out-of-state tuition fees for undergraduate students at Elmhurst are $40,232 per year. On average, bachelor’s degree students take out $18,784 in loans while pursuing their degree.
Some students may be able to take online classes at Elmhurst. In 2020-2021 about 55% of the undergraduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.
Best Value Trade Bachelor's Degree 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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