Colleges Whose Graduates Earn the Most in Illinois
Ranked by median earnings 10 years after entry (100 colleges with at least 200 undergraduates). Data: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, June 2026 release.
| # | College | Median earnings 10 years after entry | Net price | Earnings |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chamberlain University-Illinois Addison, IL · Private for-profit | $92,405 | $31,837 | $92,405 |
| 2 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $91,885 | $14,860 | $91,885 |
| 3 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL · Private nonprofit | $89,363 | $29,167 | $89,363 |
| 4 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $82,592 | $18,425 | $82,592 |
| 5 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL · Public | $81,054 | $14,355 | $81,054 |
| 6 | Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing Peoria, IL · Private nonprofit | $72,850 | — | $72,850 |
| 7 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $71,530 | $36,079 | $71,530 |
| 8 | Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL · Private nonprofit | $70,871 | $28,199 | $70,871 |
| 9 | Methodist College Peoria, IL · Private nonprofit | $69,800 | $41,787 | $69,800 |
| 10 | DePaul University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $68,751 | $30,902 | $68,751 |
| 11 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL · Public | $68,740 | $10,974 | $68,740 |
| 12 | Bradley University Peoria, IL · Private nonprofit | $66,852 | $22,719 | $66,852 |
| 13 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL · Private nonprofit | $66,099 | $17,028 | $66,099 |
| 14 | University of St Francis Joliet, IL · Private nonprofit | $63,926 | $13,006 | $63,926 |
| 15 | Wheaton College Wheaton, IL · Private nonprofit | $63,756 | $26,975 | $63,756 |
| 16 | Benedictine University Lisle, IL · Private nonprofit | $63,446 | $22,313 | $63,446 |
| 17 | Augustana College Rock Island, IL · Private nonprofit | $62,971 | $22,736 | $62,971 |
| 18 | Illinois State University Normal, IL · Public | $62,117 | $19,398 | $62,117 |
| 19 | Lake Forest College Lake Forest, IL · Private nonprofit | $61,825 | $28,673 | $61,825 |
| 20 | Elmhurst University Elmhurst, IL · Private nonprofit | $61,462 | $24,185 | $61,462 |
| 21 | Dominican University River Forest, IL · Private nonprofit | $60,327 | $11,745 | $60,327 |
| 22 | North Central College Naperville, IL · Private nonprofit | $60,123 | $21,044 | $60,123 |
| 23 | North Park University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $59,572 | $16,948 | $59,572 |
| 24 | Aurora University Aurora, IL · Private nonprofit | $58,709 | $18,838 | $58,709 |
| 25 | Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $58,656 | $10,970 | $58,656 |
| 26 | McKendree University Lebanon, IL · Private nonprofit | $58,572 | $24,717 | $58,572 |
| 27 | Governors State University University Park, IL · Public | $58,169 | $12,329 | $58,169 |
| 28 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL · Public | $57,808 | $13,391 | $57,808 |
| 29 | University of Illinois Springfield Springfield, IL · Public | $57,103 | $9,833 | $57,103 |
| 30 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL · Public | $56,346 | $14,889 | $56,346 |
| 31 | Judson University Elgin, IL · Private nonprofit | $56,313 | $18,558 | $56,313 |
| 32 | Trinity Christian College Palos Heights, IL · Private nonprofit | $55,700 | $19,125 | $55,700 |
| 33 | Knox College Galesburg, IL · Private nonprofit | $54,820 | $24,595 | $54,820 |
| 34 | Rockford University Rockford, IL · Private nonprofit | $54,794 | $22,436 | $54,794 |
| 35 | Western Illinois University Macomb, IL · Public | $54,163 | $12,937 | $54,163 |
| 36 | Concordia University-Chicago River Forest, IL · Private nonprofit | $54,089 | $18,436 | $54,089 |
| 37 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL · Public | $53,390 | $13,297 | $53,390 |
| 38 | Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago Chicago, IL · Private for-profit | $53,341 | $27,347 | $53,341 |
| 39 | Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais, IL · Private nonprofit | $53,213 | $20,729 | $53,213 |
| 40 | Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc Lisle, IL · Private for-profit | $52,873 | $27,060 | $52,873 |
| 41 | ETI School of Skilled Trades Willowbrook, IL · Private for-profit | $52,800 | $22,126 | $52,800 |
| 42 | Illinois College Jacksonville, IL · Private nonprofit | $52,575 | $18,298 | $52,575 |
| 43 | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, IL · Public | $52,234 | $14,109 | $52,234 |
| 44 | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL · Public | $51,989 | $12,786 | $51,989 |
| 45 | Eureka College Eureka, IL · Private nonprofit | $51,641 | $17,349 | $51,641 |
| 46 | Millikin University Decatur, IL · Private nonprofit | $51,262 | $21,989 | $51,262 |
| 47 | Monmouth College Monmouth, IL · Private nonprofit | $51,110 | $17,133 | $51,110 |
| 48 | Quincy University Quincy, IL · Private nonprofit | $50,369 | $20,359 | $50,369 |
| 49 | Roosevelt University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $48,712 | $20,194 | $48,712 |
| 50 | William Rainey Harper College Palatine, IL · Public | $48,071 | $11,607 | $48,071 |
| 51 | Oakton College Des Plaines, IL · Public | $47,852 | $5,183 | $47,852 |
| 52 | College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, IL · Public | $46,909 | $7,401 | $46,909 |
| 53 | Greenville University Greenville, IL · Private nonprofit | $46,827 | $19,533 | $46,827 |
| 54 | Blackburn College Carlinville, IL · Private nonprofit | $46,802 | $18,460 | $46,802 |
| 55 | DeVry University-Illinois Lisle, IL · Private for-profit | $45,987 | $30,770 | $45,987 |
| 56 | National Louis University Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $45,799 | $12,641 | $45,799 |
| 57 | Elgin Community College Elgin, IL · Public | $45,516 | $6,026 | $45,516 |
| 58 | Moody Bible Institute Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $45,399 | $22,221 | $45,399 |
| 59 | McHenry County College Crystal Lake, IL · Public | $45,143 | $7,042 | $45,143 |
| 60 | Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove, IL · Public | $44,788 | $11,442 | $44,788 |
| 61 | MDT College of Health Sciences Chicago, IL · Private for-profit | $43,946 | $30,833 | $43,946 |
| 62 | Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills, IL · Public | $43,892 | $2,829 | $43,892 |
| 63 | College of Lake County Grayslake, IL · Public | $43,424 | $7,607 | $43,424 |
| 64 | Joliet Junior College Joliet, IL · Public | $42,889 | $1,672 | $42,889 |
| 65 | Chicago State University Chicago, IL · Public | $42,778 | $12,335 | $42,778 |
| 66 | Morton College Cicero, IL · Public | $42,406 | $5,191 | $42,406 |
| 67 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $42,195 | $26,598 | $42,195 |
| 68 | Triton College River Grove, IL · Public | $41,728 | $4,138 | $41,728 |
| 69 | City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago, IL · Public | $41,625 | $6,375 | $41,625 |
| 70 | Fox College Tinley Park, IL · Private for-profit | $41,539 | $13,109 | $41,539 |
| 71 | Illinois Valley Community College Oglesby, IL · Public | $40,810 | $2,232 | $40,810 |
| 72 | Heartland Community College Normal, IL · Public | $40,768 | $12,013 | $40,768 |
| 73 | Sauk Valley Community College Dixon, IL · Public | $40,458 | $8,493 | $40,458 |
| 74 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL · Private nonprofit | $40,151 | $49,790 | $40,151 |
| 75 | Kishwaukee College Malta, IL · Public | $39,657 | $4,574 | $39,657 |
| 76 | Rock Valley College Rockford, IL · Public | $39,158 | $5,242 | $39,158 |
| 77 | Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford, IL · Private for-profit | $39,080 | $19,854 | $39,080 |
| 78 | Lake Land College Mattoon, IL · Public | $38,877 | $2,254 | $38,877 |
| 79 | Kaskaskia College Centralia, IL · Public | $38,801 | $6,477 | $38,801 |
| 80 | Richland Community College Decatur, IL · Public | $38,793 | $3,741 | $38,793 |
| 81 | Kankakee Community College Kankakee, IL · Public | $38,767 | $4,665 | $38,767 |
| 82 | Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose Park Melrose Park, IL · Private for-profit | $38,683 | $25,598 | $38,683 |
| 83 | John Wood Community College Quincy, IL · Public | $38,631 | $7,050 | $38,631 |
| 84 | Lincoln Land Community College Springfield, IL · Public | $38,479 | $4,299 | $38,479 |
| 85 | Spoon River College Canton, IL · Public | $38,386 | $3,415 | $38,386 |
| 86 | Parkland College Champaign, IL · Public | $38,320 | $8,048 | $38,320 |
| 87 | City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College Chicago, IL · Public | $37,962 | $7,886 | $37,962 |
| 88 | Highland Community College Freeport, IL · Public | $37,928 | $5,713 | $37,928 |
| 89 | Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey, IL · Public | $37,724 | $3,349 | $37,724 |
| 90 | Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Olney, IL · Public | $37,533 | $10,092 | $37,533 |
| 91 | Illinois Central College East Peoria, IL · Public | $37,366 | $12,961 | $37,366 |
| 92 | Black Hawk College Moline, IL · Public | $37,253 | $6,944 | $37,253 |
| 93 | Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, IL · Public | $36,884 | $10,427 | $36,884 |
| 94 | Prairie State College Chicago Heights, IL · Public | $36,696 | $4,738 | $36,696 |
| 95 | City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College Chicago, IL · Public | $36,531 | $7,397 | $36,531 |
| 96 | City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College Chicago, IL · Public | $36,484 | $7,863 | $36,484 |
| 97 | Midwestern Career College Chicago, IL · Private for-profit | $36,432 | $20,462 | $36,432 |
| 98 | First Institute of Travel Inc. Crystal Lake, IL · Private for-profit | $36,196 | $20,528 | $36,196 |
| 99 | Rend Lake College Ina, IL · Public | $35,775 | $9,187 | $35,775 |
| 100 | Carl Sandburg College Galesburg, IL · Public | $35,274 | $3,662 | $35,274 |