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Best Economics Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Economics Schools in Illinois

24 Colleges
$51,939 Avg Salary
$21,344 Avg Student Debt

Finding the Best Economics School for You

Out of the majors we analyze each year, economics was ranked 4th in Illinois. In fact, 2,131 were awarded in the state in <nil>.

Today's business students have lots of options to pick from when considering higher education opportunities. 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.

Along with in-depth profiles of schools and the programs they offer, Business Degree Central has created the Best Economics Schools in Illinois to help you in your search for the best school for you. This report analyzed 24 schools in Illinois to see which ones offered the best programs for business students.

View our full ranking methodology.

2023 Best Economics Schools in Illinois

Check out the economics programs at these schools if you want to get the best education that money can buy.

Top 10 Best Economics Schools

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

Our 2023 rankings named University of Chicago the best school in Illinois for economics students. Located in the large city of Chicago, UChicago is a private not-for-profit school with a large student population.

While working on their degree, economics majors at UChicago accumulate an average of around $13,395 in student debt.

Read full report on Economics at University of Chicago

#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means Northwestern University is a great place for economics students. Northwestern is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at Northwestern take out is $15,250. This translates to an average monthly loan payment of $546, based on a 10-year repayment plan.

Read full report on Economics at Northwestern University

The excellent programs at Wheaton College Illinois helped the school earn the #3 place on this year’s ranking of the best economics schools in Illinois. Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at Wheaton College Illinois take out is $21,000.

Full Economics at Wheaton College Illinois Report

Out of the 24 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the # 4 spot on the list. UIUC is a very large public school located in the small city of Champaign.

On average, economics graduates from UIUC take out $19,500 in student loans while working on their degree. When it comes time to repay the loan, graduates who are on a 10-year repayment plan pay an average monthly payment of $488.

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

#5

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL

The excellent programs at Lake Forest College helped the school earn the #5 place on this year’s ranking of the best economics schools in Illinois. Lake Forest is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lake Forest.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from Lake Forest carry an average student debtload of $27,000.

Full Economics at Lake Forest College Report

#6

Dominican University

River Forest, IL

Dominican University came in at #6 in this year’s edition of the Best Economics Schools in Illinois ranking. Dominican U is a small private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of River Forest.

Read More…

#7

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL

With a ranking of #7, Augustana College did quite well on this year’s best schools for economics students. Located in the city of Rock Island, Augustana is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

Read More…

#8

North Central College

Naperville, IL

North Central College came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Economics Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the city of Naperville, North Central is a private not-for-profit college with a small student population.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from North Central carry an average student debtload of $26,801.

Full Economics at North Central College Report

With a ranking of #9, Illinois State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for economics students. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at Illinois State take out is $15,000.

Read More…

#10

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL

Elmhurst University ranked #10 on this year’s Best Economics Schools in Illinois list. Elmhurst is a small private not-for-profit school located in the large suburb of Elmhurst.

Read More…

Best Economics Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Economics Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Degrees Awarded
Michigan 1,493
Ohio 1,134
Indiana 880
Wisconsin 1,225

Economics Focus Areas

Major Annual Graduates
General Economics 25,066
Econometrics & Quantitative Economics 21,078
Applied Economics 550
Development Economics & International Development 535
International Economics 305
Other Economics 275

Notes and References

*These averages are for the top 24 schools only.

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • 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.

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