Best Colleges in Illinois by Salary Potential
Don’t enroll before you find out how much your bachelor’s degree is worth. Check out this list of Illinois’s best four-year colleges by earning potential.
| Rank | School Name | School Type | Early Career Pay | Mid-Career Pay | % High Meaning | % STEM Degrees |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Rank:1 | School Name: University of Chicago | School Type:Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$84,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$151,000 | % High Meaning:34% | % STEM Degrees:30% |
| Rank:2 | School Name:_50px.png) Illinois Institute of Technology | School Type:Engineering, Private School, Research University | Early Career Pay:$82,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$146,300 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:58% |
| Rank:3 | School Name: Northwestern University | School Type:Private School, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$81,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$144,700 | % High Meaning:42% | % STEM Degrees:20% |
| Rank:4 | School Name:_50px.jpg) University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$80,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$144,200 | % High Meaning:43% | % STEM Degrees:37% |
| Rank:5 | School Name: Wheaton College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious, Sober School | Early Career Pay:$68,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$131,900 | % High Meaning:53% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:6 | School Name: DePaul University | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$70,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$130,500 | % High Meaning:44% | % STEM Degrees:16% |
| Rank:7 | School Name: Bradley University | School Type:Private School, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$69,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$127,300 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:23% |
| Rank:8 | School Name: Loyola University Chicago | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University, For Sports Fans | Early Career Pay:$68,800 | Mid-Career Pay:$126,800 | % High Meaning:43% | % STEM Degrees:14% |
| Rank:9 | School Name: Augustana College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$60,700 | Mid-Career Pay:$126,700 | % High Meaning:46% | % STEM Degrees:25% |
| Rank:10 | School Name: University of Illinois Chicago | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$72,200 | Mid-Career Pay:$125,900 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:28% |
| Rank:11 | School Name: Lake Forest College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$69,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$125,700 | % High Meaning:44% | % STEM Degrees:23% |
| Rank:12 | School Name:_50px.png) Illinois Wesleyan University | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$70,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$124,500 | % High Meaning:44% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:13 | School Name: North Central College | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$61,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$124,200 | % High Meaning:42% | % STEM Degrees:13% |
| Rank:14 | School Name: Principia College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$70,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$121,700 | % High Meaning:61% | % STEM Degrees:30% |
| Rank:15 | School Name:_50px.png) Northern Illinois University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$67,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$118,000 | % High Meaning:48% | % STEM Degrees:17% |
| Rank:16 | School Name: Saint Xavier University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$63,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$116,800 | % High Meaning:57% | % STEM Degrees:15% |
| Rank:17 | School Name: Illinois State University | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$64,000 | Mid-Career Pay:$116,300 | % High Meaning:47% | % STEM Degrees:10% |
| Rank:18 | School Name:Trinity International University-Illinois | School Type:Private School, Religious, Research University | Early Career Pay:$57,900 | Mid-Career Pay:$115,500 | % High Meaning:58% | % STEM Degrees:2% |
| Rank:19 | School Name: Knox College | School Type:Liberal Arts School, Private School | Early Career Pay:$67,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$114,900 | % High Meaning:42% | % STEM Degrees:24% |
| Rank:20 | School Name: Rush University | School Type:Private School | Early Career Pay:$76,600 | Mid-Career Pay:$113,500 | % High Meaning:85% | % STEM Degrees:6% |
| Rank:21 | School Name: - Carbondale Campus_50px.gif) Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | School Type:Research University, For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$61,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$111,000 | % High Meaning:54% | % STEM Degrees:15% |
| Rank:21 | School Name: Lewis University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$65,100 | Mid-Career Pay:$111,000 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:23 | School Name: - Edwardsville Campus_50px.gif) Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville | School Type:For Sports Fans, State School | Early Career Pay:$66,300 | Mid-Career Pay:$110,700 | % High Meaning:50% | % STEM Degrees:18% |
| Rank:24 | School Name: University of Illinois Springfield | School Type:State School | Early Career Pay:$61,400 | Mid-Career Pay:$108,200 | % High Meaning:51% | % STEM Degrees:27% |
| Rank:25 | School Name: Olivet Nazarene University | School Type:Private School, Religious | Early Career Pay:$63,500 | Mid-Career Pay:$107,200 | % High Meaning:63% | % STEM Degrees:11% |
