Higher Education Outcome Report · Midwest

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Illinois Higher Education Outcome Report

Updated continuously · 106 degree-granting institutions graded

Illinois's higher education system is a higher earnings system. Median 10-year earnings sit at $56,181, +9% vs the national median.

finance & insurance
manufacturing
healthcare

221
INSTITUTIONS: $56,181
MEDIAN EARNINGS: ▲ 9% vs natl; $17,929
AVG NET PRICE: 59 / 80
PUBLIC / PRIVATE

OUTCOME GRADE

A-

76/100 · #3 of 50

Illinois At A Glance

State-Level Intelligence

Institutions

106

304,375 students enrolled
Graduates / Year

~44,780

Estimated annual completers
Median Earnings
90th pct

$56,007

5th of 50 states
Mobility Score
52nd pct

1.6%

22nd of 46 states
Talent Retention
80th pct

73%

First-year retention rate
Value Ratio
64th pct

3.0x

Earnings per net-price dollar

Top Industries Hiring Graduates:

Healthcare
Business
Social Sciences

Executive Summary

Illinois graduates earn a median of $56,007 a decade after entry, 15% above the national state average, ranking 5th of 50 states.
Upward mobility sits mid-pack: the state's institutions move bottom-quintile students into the top quintile at a 1.6% rate, in the 52nd percentile nationally.
Degree production is led by Healthcare and Business, which together account for 34% of graduates. That diversified mix sets what the state's labor pipeline can supply.
Technology is the standout sector: graduates earn $61,046, +18.4% versus the national median. That premium points to a real wage advantage rather than sheer volume.
Humanities shows oversupply pressure: graduate earnings run 13.7% below the national median, suggesting the field produces more graduates than the local market rewards.
On value, Illinois returns 3.0x earnings per dollar of net price, among the strongest cost-to-outcome efficiency in the country.

Key Insights

Earnings vs National

+1.1%

Median graduate earnings in Illinois are above the national average by 1%.
Cost vs National

-11.4%

Net price in Illinois is lower than the national average by 11%.
Mobility Rate

-0.24pp

Upward mobility rate is 0.2 percentage points below the national average.
Completion Rate

+0.1pp

Illinois's graduation rate is 0.1 percentage points above the national average.
Best Value

25.7x

Top value school: Joliet Junior College ($42,889 earnings vs $1,672 net price).
Top Mobility School

3.7%

Highest mobility rate: Chicago State University at 3.7%.

Education Output Profile

Healthcare (19% of graduates) and Business (15% of graduates) dominate Illinois's higher education output. Graduates in the top field earn a weighted average of $62,411.

Healthcare

19%

$62,411 avg
Business

15%

$54,133 avg
Social Sciences

12%

$62,101 avg
Technology

9%

$60,814 avg
Humanities

9%

$44,346 avg

Concentration: diversified HHI: 11

Outcome Performance

Illinois's highest-ROI degree cluster is Trades (Construction Trades), where graduates average $40,535 against a net cost of $6,463, a 6.3x return. That's -21.4% vs the national median. At the other end, English & Literature produces $58,275 at a 3.0x return, less than half what the top cluster delivers.

Construction Trades
6.3x

$40,535 earnings $6,463 net -21.4% vs natl
Precision Production
6.2x

$40,086 earnings $6,453 net -22.3% vs natl
Mechanic & Repair Tech
5.7x

$42,534 earnings $7,518 net -17.5% vs natl
Culinary & Personal Services
4.2x

$47,850 earnings $11,366 net -7.2% vs natl
Transportation
4.0x

$48,953 earnings $12,197 net -5.1% vs natl
Criminal Justice
3.7x

$50,784 earnings $13,640 net -1.5% vs natl

State Talent Profile

Three lenses on Illinois's talent pipeline: which fields produce the most graduates, which command the highest earnings, and where high-pay demand outruns local supply.

Dominant Fields

Health Professions 19%
Business & Marketing 15%
Computer Science & IT 8%
Humanities 8%
Visual & Performing Arts 7%

Highest-Earning Fields

Engineering $69,038
Social Sciences $66,304
Health Professions $62,411
Communications $60,723
Computer Science & IT $59,544

Opportunity Gaps

High earnings, low local production — fields where demand may outrun Illinois's graduate supply.

Engineering $69,038 6% of grads
Social Sciences $66,304 6% of grads
Communications $60,723 4% of grads

Mobility & Retention

Opportunity Insights

Illinois's colleges post an average mobility rate of 1.6%, which puts the state in the 52nd percentile nationally. 8% of students arrive from bottom-quintile households. Cross-class social connectedness averages 1.56, a proxy for the networks that help graduates convert a degree into mobility.

MOBILITY RATE

1.6%

▼ -0.07pp vs natl

Bottom 20% → Top 20%
LOW-INCOME ACCESS

8%

From bottom quintile
SUCCESS RATE

25%

If bottom 20% enroll
FIRST-GENERATION

38%

First-gen students
TALENT RETENTION

73%

First-year retention
SOCIAL CAPITAL

1.56

Economic connectedness

Mobility Leaders — Institutions Driving Upward Movement

Labor Market Alignment

Illinois's Technology programs produce graduates earning $61,046, +18.4% relative to the national median. Humanities graduates, however, earn 13.7% below the national median, a possible sign the state produces more of these degrees than its labor market absorbs.

Healthcare
19% of enrollment

$56,623 +9.8% vs natl

55 schools
Business
15% of enrollment

$54,962 +6.6% vs natl

52 schools
Social Sciences
12% of enrollment

$59,676 +15.7% vs natl

45 schools
Technology
9% of enrollment

$61,046 +18.4% vs natl

25 schools
Humanities
9% of enrollment

$44,488 -13.7% vs natl

19 schools
Sciences
7% of enrollment

$59,456 +15.3% vs natl

32 schools

Overperforming Sectors

Technology: +18.4% vs national earnings ($61,046)

Social Sciences: +15.7% vs national earnings ($59,676)

Sciences: +15.3% vs national earnings ($59,456)

Potential Oversupply Signals

Humanities: -13.7% vs national — wage pressure suggests oversupply

Institutional Landscape

Illinois's higher education system includes 6 research-oriented, 21 specialized, 17 access-oriented, 62 regional institutions. Each group plays a different role in the state's outcomes.

6

Research Universities
62

Regional Universities
17

Access-Oriented Institutions
21

Specialized Institutions

Research Universities

Access-Oriented Institutions

Cost & Access Corridors

42% of Illinois's colleges charge under $15K net. Graduates of those schools average $50,195 at 10 years. At the premium end, 2 schools charge over $40K, with graduates averaging $54,976.

NET PRICE UNDER $15K

31

42% of schools
Avg earnings: $50,195
NET PRICE $15K–$25K

31

42% of schools
Avg earnings: $54,615
NET PRICE $25K–$40K

10

14% of schools
Avg earnings: $65,556
NET PRICE OVER $40K

2

3% of schools
Avg earnings: $54,976

Top Earners

Schools ranked by median graduate earnings 10 years after enrolling.

Higher education in Illinois

Illinois is home to 221 colleges and universities, from 59 public institutions to 80 private nonprofits. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign anchors the public system, and graduates across the state earn a median of about $44,330 ten years after enrolling.

Higher education clusters around Chicago, Rockford and Springfield, and the strongest programs by enrollment are Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT. We rank every school here by what its graduates actually earn and how far they move up — not by reputation or sticker price.

What college costs in Illinois

The average net price — what students actually pay after grants and scholarships — runs about $16,012 a year across Illinois. Elgin Community College stands out on return: strong graduate earnings against a comparatively low net price. Public universities and in-state tuition remain the clearest path to a low-debt degree, while need-based aid can make selective private schools surprisingly competitive.

Most Affordable Schools

Jobs & industries

Illinois's economy leans on finance & insurance, manufacturing and healthcare, which shapes which degrees pay off fastest in-state. Programs in Health Professions, Business & Marketing and Computer Science & IT feed directly into those employers, and graduates who stay in-region benefit from established hiring pipelines and alumni networks.

Licensure & transfer

Licensure and articulation are state-specific: nursing, teaching, law, and the health professions are regulated at the Illinois level, so an in-state program is often the most direct route to practicing here. Community-college transfer agreements with public universities can also cut the cost of a four-year degree substantially.

Cost vs Return

What graduates in Illinois earn relative to what they pay for college.

MEDIAN EARNINGS (10YR)

$44,330

▲ +$493 vs natl

AVG NET PRICE

$16,012

▲ $-2,064 vs natl

EARNINGS / COST RATIO

2.8x

Return per dollar invested

Best Value Schools

Is Illinois Right for You?

Illinois is a strong fit if you want to build a career in finance & insurance and manufacturing, value in-state tuition, or plan to work in the region after graduation. Use the rankings and filters below to weigh earnings, cost, and mobility for every school in the state.

Every figure on this page is derived from public federal data and read within its regional and economic context. Information Gain Policy →

Related Rankings

Top Schools

Chamberlain University-Illinois · IL University of Chicago · IL Northwestern University · IL St. John's College · IL Lakeview College of Nursing · IL Illinois Institute of Technology · IL

FAQ

How many colleges are in Illinois?

There are 221 colleges and universities in Illinois in our dataset — 59 public, 80 private nonprofit.

What is the highest-earning college in Illinois?

By median graduate earnings 10 years out, Chamberlain University-Illinois leads, followed by schools like University of Chicago and Northwestern University.

How much does college cost in Illinois?

The average net price — tuition and living costs after grants — is about $16,012 per year. In-state public tuition is typically the lowest-cost path.

What are the best-paying career fields in Illinois?

Illinois's economy is anchored by finance & insurance, manufacturing and healthcare, so degrees feeding those industries tend to pay off fastest in-state.

Is it worth going to college in Illinois?

For most students, yes — especially at in-state public universities and high-value private schools. Elgin Community College, for example, pairs strong earnings with a low net price. Weigh earnings against net price using the data on this page.

All 221 schools in Illinois

Data Behind This Page Updated 2026

221 institutions in Illinois

2026 Last updated

100% Public / federal sources

Source datasets

Methodology

States are graded on graduate earnings, social mobility, completion, and cost — each drawn from federal data and Opportunity Insights research, then normalized into a single Outcomes Index (0–100).

See the full methodology and weights →

Confidence notes

Earnings, completion, and debt figures come from federal administrative records — tax data and student-aid filings — not surveys or self-reports, the highest-confidence tier of education data available.
Social-mobility estimates are drawn from de-identified tax records covering more than 30 million students (Opportunity Insights).
Where an institution is missing a metric, it is excluded from that metric rather than imputed, so averages are never inflated by guesses.

Limitations

Federal earnings data primarily cover students who received federal financial aid; outcomes for non-aided students may differ.
Earnings are measured roughly ten years after enrollment, so they describe how earlier cohorts fared — historical outcomes, not guarantees of future results.
An institution's field-of-study mix affects raw earnings; scores reflect measured outcomes and are not fully major-adjusted unless explicitly noted.
Net price is an average; the actual cost a given student pays varies widely by family income.

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