Find Business Schools

Study Area & Zipcode

Most Popular Accounting Schools in Illinois

Find Schools Near

2023 Most Popular Accounting Schools in Illinois

88 Colleges
$52,181 Avg Salary
$23,744 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Accounting School for You

Accounting is one of the most popular subjects to study in Illinois. With 3,097 degrees and certificates handed out in <nil>, it ranked 3rd out of all the majors we track in the state.

It's not easy to decide which business program to enroll in when you have so many options available. With more and more schools offering online options, you could even register for a great program on the other side of the country. On top of that, there are a considerable number of trade schools that offer fast-track entry to many fields.

The Most Popular Accounting Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Business Degree Central has developed to help you make your educational decision. This report analyzed 88 schools in Illinois to see which ones were the most popular programs for business students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Accounting program at each school on the list.

The colleges and universities below are the most popular for accounting majors pursuing a .

Our 2023 rankings named University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign the most popular school in Illinois for accounting students. UIUC is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign.

On average, accounting graduates from UIUC take out $20,125 in student loans while working on their degree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $410, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Accounting at University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

#2

DeVry University - Illinois

Naperville, IL

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend DeVry University - Illinois. The school came in at #2 on this year’s Most Popular Accounting Schools in Illinois list. DeVry University - Illinois is a fairly large private for-profit school located in the medium-sized city of Naperville.

After completing their degree, accounting graduates from DeVry University - Illinois carry an average student debt load of $42,636.

Full Accounting at DeVry University - Illinois Report

#3

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

Out of the 88 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the # 3 spot on the list. DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

The average amount in student loans that accounting majors at DePaul take out is $34,958. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $421.

Full Accounting at DePaul University Report

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend Illinois State University. It ranked #4 on our 2023 Most Popular Accounting Schools in Illinois list. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Accounting majors at Illinois State take out an average of $18,559 in student loans while working on their egree. The average monthly payment of a loan this size is about $340, assuming that the borrower is on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read More…

A rank of #5 on this year’s list means University of Illinois at Chicago is a great place for accounting students. Located in the large city of Chicago, UIC is a public college with a very large student population.

After completing their degree, accounting graduates from UIC carry an average student debt load of $23,788. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $257.

Read full report on Accounting at University of Illinois at Chicago

William Rainey Harper College ranked #6 on this year’s Most Popular Accounting Schools in Illinois list. Harper College is a large public school located in the suburb of Palatine.

Read full report on Accounting at William Rainey Harper College

Northern Illinois University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Accounting Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the small suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public college with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, accounting graduates from NIU carry an average student debt load of $17,921. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $130.

Read full report on Accounting at Northern Illinois University

With a ranking of #8, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for accounting students. Located in the city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public school with a fairly large student population.

Accounting majors at SIUC take out an average of $18,699 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Accounting at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Loyola University Chicago landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular accounting programs. Loyola Chicago is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago.

While working on their degree, accounting majors at Loyola Chicago accumulate an average of around $22,000 in student debt. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $781, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Full Accounting at Loyola University Chicago Report

With a ranking of #10, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for accounting students. Located in the suburb of Edwardsville, SIUE is a public college with a fairly large student population.

Accounting majors at SIUE take out an average of $16,539 in student loans while working on their egree. Assuming that a graduate chooses a 10-year repayment plan, the average monthly loan payment is $212.

Full Accounting at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Report

Northeastern Illinois University landed the #11 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular accounting programs. Located in the large city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a public school with a medium-sized student population.

The average amount in student loans that accounting majors at Northeastern Illinois University take out is $13,350.

Read full report on Accounting at Northeastern Illinois University

#12

College of DuPage

Glen Ellyn, IL

With a ranking of #12, College of DuPage did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for accounting students. COD is a very large public school located in the large suburb of Glen Ellyn.

Read full report on Accounting at College of DuPage

#13

Bradley University

Peoria, IL

With a ranking of #13, Bradley University did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for accounting students. Bradley is a medium-sized private not-for-profit school located in the city of Peoria.

Accounting majors at Bradley take out an average of $25,250 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Accounting at Bradley University

Honorable Mentions

These are some additional schools worth mentioning that are also popular but just didn't quite make the cut to earn our top Most Popular Accounting Schools in Illinois award.

Rank College Location
14 Western Illinois University Macomb, IL
15 Roosevelt University Chicago, IL
16 Governors State University University Park, IL
17 City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College Chicago, IL

Best Accounting Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Accounting Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 2,427
Ohio 3,277
Indiana 1,668
Wisconsin 1,606

One of 21 majors within the business area of study, accounting has other similar majors worth exploring.

Accounting Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
Accounting 68,501
Accounting Technology/Technician and Bookkeeping 19,139
Accounting and Finance 3,781
Accounting and Business/Management 1,538
Other Accounting and Related Services 844
Auditing 179

Related Major Annual Graduates
Business Administration & Management 403,753
General Business/Commerce 56,779
Finance & Financial Management 54,690
Marketing 52,078
Management Sciences & Quantitative Methods 48,037

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

  • 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 the rest 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).
  • Credit for the banner image above goes to Pixabay.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

Featured Schools

You have goals. Southern New Hampshire University can help you get there. Whether you need a bachelor's degree to get into a career or want a master's degree to move up in your current career, SNHU has an online program for you. Find your degree from over 200 online programs.

Visit School

Find Business Schools Near You

Our free school finder matches students with accredited business colleges across the U.S.