# Best Business Colleges in Illinois

> CollegeRanker Agent Insights — structured data for AI systems
> Updated: 2026-05-31 | Schools: 50 | Category: By State
> Source: https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-business-illinois

## Methodology

Business programs in Illinois ranked by outcomes and program concentration

CollegeRanker uses a 4-pillar algorithm: Academic Quality (15-20%), Economic Outcomes (30%), Social Mobility (25-35%), Value & Affordability (20-25%). Social mobility data from Raj Chetty's Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (30M+ anonymized tax records). No subjective surveys.

## Summary

If you're considering a business degree in Illinois, you're looking at a competitive field. With 50 schools offering business programs, the choices can feel overwhelming. Many prospective students want to know which institutions not only provide a solid education but also lead to successful careers.

## Key Findings

- Northwestern University graduates earn an average of $89,363, making it the highest in the state.
- The graduation rate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is 85%, significantly above the average of 55%.
- The University of Illinois Chicago has the lowest net price on this list at $10,974.
- North Park University has the highest debt burden, with an average of $25,500.

## Rankings

| Rank | School | Location | Graduation | Earnings (10yr) | Net Price | Median Debt | Debt/Earnings |
|------|--------|----------|------------|-----------------|-----------|-------------|---------------|
| 1 | [North Park University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/north-park-university) | Chicago, IL | 57% | $59,572 | $16,948 | $25,500 | 0.43x |
| 2 | [Southern Illinois University Edwardsville](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/southern-illinois-university-edwardsville) | Edwardsville, IL | 56% | $56,346 | $14,889 | $20,500 | 0.36x |
| 3 | [DePaul University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/depaul-university) | Chicago, IL | 69% | $68,751 | $30,902 | $23,168 | 0.34x |
| 4 | [Illinois State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/illinois-state-university) | Normal, IL | 65% | $62,117 | $19,398 | $20,482 | 0.33x |
| 5 | [Northwestern University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northwestern-university) | Evanston, IL | 96% | $89,363 | $29,167 | $15,000 | 0.17x |
| 6 | [Benedictine University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/benedictine-university) | Lisle, IL | 51% | $63,446 | $22,313 | $22,500 | 0.35x |
| 7 | [North Central College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/north-central-college) | Naperville, IL | 68% | $60,123 | $21,044 | $24,500 | 0.41x |
| 8 | [Aurora University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/aurora-university) | Aurora, IL | 59% | $58,709 | $18,838 | $20,318 | 0.35x |
| 9 | [Dominican University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/dominican-university) | River Forest, IL | 59% | $60,327 | $11,745 | $24,411 | 0.4x |
| 10 | [McKendree University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/mckendree-university) | Lebanon, IL | 57% | $58,572 | $24,717 | $23,250 | 0.4x |
| 11 | [Illinois Wesleyan University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/illinois-wesleyan-university) | Bloomington, IL | 78% | $70,871 | $28,199 | $27,000 | 0.38x |
| 12 | [Lewis University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lewis-university) | Romeoville, IL | 65% | $66,099 | $17,028 | $21,500 | 0.33x |
| 13 | [Northern Illinois University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northern-illinois-university) | Dekalb, IL | 49% | $57,808 | $13,391 | $22,162 | 0.38x |
| 14 | [Lake Forest College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/lake-forest-college) | Lake Forest, IL | 74% | $61,825 | $28,673 | $26,158 | 0.42x |
| 15 | [Elmhurst University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/elmhurst-university) | Elmhurst, IL | 68% | $61,462 | $24,185 | $20,489 | 0.33x |
| 16 | [Judson University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/judson-university) | Elgin, IL | 56% | $56,313 | $18,558 | $25,000 | 0.44x |
| 17 | [Illinois College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/illinois-college) | Jacksonville, IL | 63% | $52,575 | $18,298 | $25,565 | 0.49x |
| 18 | [Roosevelt University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/roosevelt-university) | Chicago, IL | 38% | $48,712 | $20,194 | $22,000 | 0.45x |
| 19 | [Greenville University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/greenville-university) | Greenville, IL | 46% | $46,827 | $19,533 | $23,875 | 0.51x |
| 20 | [Saint Xavier University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/saint-xavier-university) | Chicago, IL | 58% | $58,656 | $10,970 | $22,223 | 0.38x |
| 21 | [Eastern Illinois University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/eastern-illinois-university) | Charleston, IL | 46% | $51,989 | $12,786 | $21,500 | 0.41x |
| 22 | [Bradley University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/bradley-university) | Peoria, IL | 74% | $66,852 | $22,719 | $27,000 | 0.4x |
| 23 | [Loyola University Chicago](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/loyola-university-chicago) | Chicago, IL | 75% | $71,530 | $36,079 | $24,157 | 0.34x |
| 24 | [Eureka College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/eureka-college) | Eureka, IL | 41% | $51,641 | $17,349 | $23,250 | 0.45x |
| 25 | [Rockford University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/rockford-university) | Rockford, IL | 43% | $54,794 | $22,436 | $22,274 | 0.41x |
| 26 | [University of Illinois Chicago](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-chicago) | Chicago, IL | 61% | $68,740 | $10,974 | $16,704 | 0.24x |
| 27 | [Northeastern Illinois University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/northeastern-illinois-university) | Chicago, IL | 18% | $52,234 | $14,109 | $14,600 | 0.28x |
| 28 | [Quincy University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/quincy-university) | Quincy, IL | 44% | $50,369 | $20,359 | $24,000 | 0.48x |
| 29 | [Monmouth College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/monmouth-college) | Monmouth, IL | 62% | $51,110 | $17,133 | $27,000 | 0.53x |
| 30 | [Millikin University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/millikin-university) | Decatur, IL | 57% | $51,262 | $21,989 | $27,000 | 0.53x |
| 31 | [Western Illinois University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/western-illinois-university) | Macomb, IL | 45% | $54,163 | $12,937 | $25,251 | 0.47x |
| 32 | [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign) | Champaign, IL | 85% | $81,054 | $14,355 | $19,500 | 0.24x |
| 33 | [Olivet Nazarene University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/olivet-nazarene-university) | Bourbonnais, IL | 61% | $53,213 | $20,729 | $25,000 | 0.47x |
| 34 | [Trinity Christian College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/trinity-christian-college) | Palos Heights, IL | 61% | $55,700 | $19,125 | $25,009 | 0.45x |
| 35 | [University of Illinois Springfield](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-springfield) | Springfield, IL | 57% | $57,103 | $9,833 | $19,128 | 0.33x |
| 36 | [Knox College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/knox-college) | Galesburg, IL | 68% | $54,820 | $24,595 | $27,000 | 0.49x |
| 37 | [University of St Francis](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/university-of-st-francis) | Joliet, IL | 66% | $63,926 | $13,006 | $21,079 | 0.33x |
| 38 | [Augustana College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/augustana-college) | Rock Island, IL | 76% | $62,971 | $22,736 | $27,000 | 0.43x |
| 39 | [Blackburn College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/blackburn-college) | Carlinville, IL | 55% | $46,802 | $18,460 | $24,242 | 0.52x |
| 40 | [Carl Sandburg College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/carl-sandburg-college) | Galesburg, IL | 45% | $35,274 | $3,662 | $4,909 | 0.14x |
| 41 | [Morton College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/morton-college) | Cicero, IL | 30% | $42,406 | $5,191 | $8,000 | 0.19x |
| 42 | [Waubonsee Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/waubonsee-community-college) | Sugar Grove, IL | 40% | $44,788 | $11,442 | $7,000 | 0.16x |
| 43 | [Danville Area Community College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/danville-area-community-college) | Danville, IL | 41% | $34,867 | $4,777 | $7,218 | 0.21x |
| 44 | [Chicago State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/chicago-state-university) | Chicago, IL | 16% | $42,778 | $12,335 | $30,625 | 0.72x |
| 45 | [Concordia University-Chicago](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/concordia-university-chicago) | River Forest, IL | 41% | $54,089 | $18,436 | $23,000 | 0.43x |
| 46 | [Governors State University](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/governors-state-university) | University Park, IL | 21% | $58,169 | $12,329 | $18,618 | 0.32x |
| 47 | [Wheaton College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/wheaton-college) | Wheaton, IL | 86% | $63,756 | $26,975 | $23,250 | 0.36x |
| 48 | [Southern Illinois University-Carbondale](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/southern-illinois-university-carbondale) | Carbondale, IL | 59% | $53,390 | $13,297 | $21,543 | 0.4x |
| 49 | [College of DuPage](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/college-of-dupage) | Glen Ellyn, IL | 25% | $46,909 | $7,401 | $10,410 | 0.22x |
| 50 | [John A Logan College](https://www.collegeranker.com/colleges/john-a-logan-college) | Carterville, IL | 43% | $34,096 | $5,541 | N/A | N/A |

## Data Sources

- U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (https://collegescorecard.ed.gov)
- Opportunity Insights Mobility Report Card (https://opportunityinsights.org/data)
- Opportunity Insights Social Capital Atlas
- Times Higher Education World University Rankings
- NCES IPEDS

## Citation

CollegeRanker. "Best Business Colleges in Illinois." CollegeRanker.com, 2026-05-31. https://www.collegeranker.com/rankings/best-business-illinois

## License

This data summary is provided for informational purposes. Underlying data from federal sources (College Scorecard, IPEDS) is public domain. Opportunity Insights data is available under their data use agreement at https://opportunityinsights.org/data/.