New Study Names Top Affordable Small Colleges in Illinois

A new study just ranked the colleges and universities in America that give students the most value, combining affordability with strong graduation rates and alumni earnings, with several schools from the Midwest in the Top 75.

How the Rankings Were Determined

To obtain the results for this study, SmartAsset evaluated over 1,000 accredited colleges and universities in the U.S. with undergraduate enrollment under 5,000.

Schools were filtered based on affordability, requiring total annual costs, including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses, to fall below the median for institutions of similar size.

From there, rankings were determined using two key metrics: graduation rates and median earnings of former students 10 years after enrollment. The top 75 schools with the strongest combined performance were labeled "best value" institutions.

Illinois Schools Earn National Recognition

Seven Illinois colleges made the Top 75 list for "best value", highlighting the state's strength in delivering affordable, high-quality education. Among the top performers were:

#38 - Dominican University: River Forest, IL
#43 - North Park University: Chicago, IL
#44 - Saint Xavier University: Chicago, IL
#45 - Trinity Christian College: Palos Heights, IL
#50 - University of Illinois Springfield: Springfield, IL
#56 - Judson University: Elgin, IL

Regional Impact Across the Midwest

Illinois was one of 19 states with multiple schools on the list, including Wisconsin, which had two strong showings in the Top 75:

#29 - Viterbo University: LaCrosse, WI
#55 - University of Wisconsin-River Falls: River Falls, WI

Nationally, the study also challenges the perception that small colleges are primarily private. Of the Top 75 schools in the study, 26 are public institutions.

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While Illinois schools performed well on the list, the school with the MOST value in America is Immaculata University, followed by Rutgers University-Camden in New Jersey, which was the highest-ranked public institution.

CLICK HERE to see the Top 75 colleges and universities with the "best value" according to the study by SmartAsset.

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Filed Under: Rockford News