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Most Popular Economics Schools in Illinois

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2023 Most Popular Economics Schools in Illinois

35 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.

To assist you in seeing some of the education options that are available to you, Business Degree Central has created its Most Popular Economics Schools in Illinois ranking. Our analysis looked at 35 schools in Illinois to see which programs were the most popular for business students. To create this ranking we looked at how many students graduated from the Economics program at each school on the list.

Check out the economics programs at these schools if you want to attend one of the most popular in Illinois.

#1

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

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

Economics majors at UChicago take out an average of $13,395 in student loans while working on their egree.

Read full report on Economics at University of Chicago

Out of the 35 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign landed the # 2 spot on the list. UIUC is a very large public school located in the small city of Champaign.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from UIUC carry an average student debt load of $19,500. 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 More…

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL

A rank of #3 on this year’s list means Northwestern University is a great place for economics students. Northwestern is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston.

On average, economics graduates from Northwestern take out $15,250 in student loans while working on their degree. 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

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend University of Illinois at Chicago. The school came in at #4 on this year’s Most Popular Economics Schools in Illinois list. Located in the city of Chicago, UIC is a public college with a very large student population.

The average amount in student loans that economics majors at UIC take out is $17,500.

Full Economics at University of Illinois at Chicago Report

#5

DePaul University

Chicago, IL

Out of the 35 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, DePaul University landed the # 5 spot on the list. DePaul is a fairly large private not-for-profit school located in the large city of Chicago.

On average, economics graduates from DePaul take out $22,853 in student loans while working on their degree.

Read More…

You’ll join some of the best and brightest minds around you if you attend Illinois State University. The school came in at #5 on this year’s Most Popular Economics Schools in Illinois list. Located in the midsize suburb of Normal, Illinois State is a public school with a fairly large student population.

After completing their degree, economics graduates from Illinois State carry an average student debt load of $15,000.

Read full report on Economics at Illinois State University

With a ranking of #7, Wheaton College Illinois did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for economics students. Located in the large suburb of Wheaton, Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit school with a small student population.

On average, economics graduates from Wheaton College Illinois take out $21,000 in student loans while working on their degree.

Full Economics at Wheaton College Illinois Report

#8

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL

Lake Forest College landed the #8 spot in the 2023 rankings for the most popular economics programs. 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 debt load of $27,000.

Full Economics at Lake Forest College Report

Northern Illinois University came in at #9 in this year’s edition of the Most Popular Economics Schools in Illinois ranking. Located in the suburb of Dekalb, NIU is a public school with a large student population.

While working on their degree, economics majors at NIU accumulate an average of around $24,976 in student debt.

Read full report on Economics at Northern Illinois University

With a ranking of #10, Southern Illinois University Carbondale did quite well on this year’s most popular schools for economics students. Located in the city of Carbondale, SIUC is a public college with a large student population.

While working on their degree, economics majors at SIUC accumulate an average of around $21,201 in student debt.

Full Economics at Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

Best Economics Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Most Popular Economics Schools 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 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.

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