Best Value Degrees in Illinois (2026)
Top 100 of 915 programs in Illinois · Updated 2026
The best college programs in Illinois, ranked by overall value. We scored 915 programs across Illinois schools on earnings, AI resilience, job demand, and tuition ROI. The top programs average $70,688/yr in graduate earnings.
Programs in IL
915
Avg Earnings (Top 100)
$70,688/yr
Avg DW Score
76/100
#1 Program
Computer Science
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Top Programs in Illinois
Top 100 programs by DegreeWorth Score. Click any row for full analysis.
| # | Program | DW Score | Earnings | AI Risk | ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |
Computer Science
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
90
84–91 |
$124,530/yr | Very High | 25.6x |
| 2 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Governors State University · University Park, IL |
89
86–89 |
$80,391/yr | High | 22.7x |
| 3 |
Computer Science
University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL |
87
80–88 |
$78,040/yr | Very High | 19.3x |
| 4 |
Computer Engineering
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
86
80–87 |
$103,123/yr | Very High | 20.3x |
| 5 |
Finance and Financial Management Services
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
86
84–88 |
$75,381/yr | Very High | 17.5x |
| 6 |
Computer Science
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL |
86
79–87 |
$76,106/yr | Very High | 18.9x |
| 7 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Rasmussen University-Illinois · Rockford, IL |
86
83–86 |
$74,861/yr | High | 16.5x |
| 8 |
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
85
81–85 |
$72,527/yr | Very High | 14.7x |
| 9 |
Computer Science
University of Illinois Springfield · Springfield, IL |
85
78–86 |
$72,657/yr | Very High | 18.7x |
| 10 |
Computer Science
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL |
85
78–86 |
$70,053/yr | Very High | 19.1x |
| 11 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Chicago State University · Chicago, IL |
84
83–84 |
$63,869/yr | High | 17.6x |
| 12 |
Computer Science
Illinois State University · Normal, IL |
84
77–86 |
$81,363/yr | Very High | 14.5x |
| 13 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL |
83
81–83 |
$75,045/yr | High | 14.0x |
| 14 |
Accounting and Related Services
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
83
80–85 |
$74,731/yr | Very High | 14.1x |
| 15 |
Computer Science
Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL |
83
76–85 |
$77,257/yr | Very High | 15.9x |
| 16 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL |
83
80–83 |
$75,557/yr | High | 14.5x |
| 17 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Chamberlain University-Illinois · Addison, IL |
82
78–82 |
$83,188/yr | High | 10.3x |
| 18 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Illinois State University · Normal, IL |
81
78–81 |
$72,709/yr | High | 12.0x |
| 19 |
Accounting and Related Services
Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL |
81
78–83 |
$63,743/yr | Very High | 15.4x |
| 20 |
Computer Science
Northeastern Illinois University · Chicago, IL |
81
74–83 |
$62,831/yr | Very High | 17.0x |
| 21 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL |
81
79–81 |
$71,161/yr | High | 13.9x |
| 22 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL |
81
79–81 |
$74,490/yr | High | 12.4x |
| 23 |
Computer Science
University of Chicago · Chicago, IL |
80
74–81 |
$117,578/yr | Very High | 7.5x |
| 24 |
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods
National Louis University · Chicago, IL |
80
76–81 |
$59,084/yr | Very High | 15.0x |
| 25 |
Business Administration
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
79
74–80 |
$68,442/yr | High | 13.9x |
| 26 |
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Illinois State University · Normal, IL |
79
73–80 |
$65,127/yr | Very High | 12.2x |
| 27 |
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville · Edwardsville, IL |
79
73–80 |
$55,844/yr | Very High | 15.6x |
| 28 |
Finance and Financial Management Services
Eastern Illinois University · Charleston, IL |
78
75–79 |
$51,370/yr | Very High | 14.7x |
| 29 |
Accounting and Related Services
University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL |
78
75–80 |
$65,680/yr | Very High | 12.6x |
| 30 |
Accounting and Related Services
Illinois State University · Normal, IL |
78
74–79 |
$62,940/yr | Very High | 11.8x |
| 31 |
Finance and Financial Management Services
Illinois State University · Normal, IL |
78
75–79 |
$54,958/yr | Very High | 12.5x |
| 32 |
Construction Management
Illinois State University · Normal, IL |
78
76–79 |
$70,672/yr | High | 13.7x |
| 33 |
Finance and Financial Management Services
Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL |
78
76–80 |
$54,802/yr | Very High | 14.6x |
| 34 |
Computer Science
Northwestern University · Evanston, IL |
78
72–79 |
$99,981/yr | Very High | 4.9x |
| 35 |
Computer Engineering
University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL |
77
70–78 |
$71,148/yr | Very High | 13.0x |
| 36 |
Computer Science
Illinois Institute of Technology · Chicago, IL |
77
69–78 |
$86,005/yr | Very High | 4.5x |
| 37 |
Computer Systems Networking
Illinois State University · Normal, IL |
77
71–78 |
$66,801/yr | Very High | 12.2x |
| 38 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Trinity Christian College · Palos Heights, IL |
77
74–77 |
$76,446/yr | High | 8.4x |
| 39 |
Construction Management
Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL |
77
74–78 |
$70,789/yr | High | 13.2x |
| 40 |
Finance and Financial Management Services
University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL |
76
74–78 |
$55,591/yr | Very High | 12.5x |
| 41 |
Computer and Information Sciences, General
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
76
71–77 |
$113,503/yr | Very High | 16.7x |
| 42 |
Economics
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL |
76
71–77 |
$58,921/yr | Very High | 13.2x |
| 43 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
McKendree University · Lebanon, IL |
76
74–76 |
$73,156/yr | High | 5.9x |
| 44 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Methodist College · Peoria, IL |
76
74–75 |
$67,809/yr | High | 9.2x |
| 45 |
Computer and Information Sciences, General
Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL |
76
70–77 |
$62,578/yr | Very High | 11.3x |
| 46 |
Computer/Information Technology Administration
Rasmussen University-Illinois · Rockford, IL |
76
70–78 |
$59,685/yr | Very High | 13.1x |
| 47 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Aurora University · Aurora, IL |
75
72–74 |
$72,520/yr | High | 6.1x |
| 48 |
Economics
University of Chicago · Chicago, IL |
75
71–77 |
$92,075/yr | Very High | 4.9x |
| 49 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Benedictine University · Lisle, IL |
75
71–75 |
$80,136/yr | High | 4.9x |
| 50 |
Registered Nursing & Nursing Administration
Lewis University · Romeoville, IL |
75
72–75 |
$76,766/yr | High | 4.7x |
Methodology
This ranking includes the top 100 programs at Illinois colleges and universities, drawn from 915 total programs with earnings data. Programs are ranked by DegreeWorth Score (0–100), which combines graduate earnings, AI automation resilience, job market demand, and tuition ROI.
Only in-state tuition is used for ROI calculations. Earnings data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the best college program in Illinois?
By DegreeWorth Score, Computer Science at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks #1 in Illinois with a score of 90/100 and graduate earnings of $124,530/yr.
How many college programs are in Illinois?
Our database includes 915 programs across Illinois colleges with reported earnings data from the U.S. Department of Education.
Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (earnings, debt), Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034
(employment projections), OpenAI GPTs-are-GPTs research (AI task exposure), Felten et al. AIOE.
Last updated 2025.