Best colleges for business in Illinois
Colleges that offer a bachelor’s in business, ranked by Compass Score.
Best colleges for business in Illinois52 schools
52 schools qualify, ranked by the Compass Score. The top 25 are shown.
How this list is made
- Schools in Illinois.
- Accredited four-year undergraduate colleges.
- Offers a bachelor’s program in business, from the College Scorecard field-of-study data (credential level 3).
- Each school needs a complete Compass Score, so every row shows a rating.
- Ordered by Compass Score, highest first. Schools with the same score share a rank.
Updated Oct. 20, 2026. Methodology. Spot an error? Send a correction.
- 1
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL · Private nonprofitHonor RollExceptional: Compass grade A+
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B+ · Top 27%
- 2
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign, IL · PublicHonor Roll#3 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade A · Top 4%
- 3
Wheaton College
Wheaton, IL · Private nonprofitHonor Roll#4 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B-
- 4
Lake Forest College
Lake Forest, IL · Private nonprofit#5 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B-
- 5
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 7% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade A- · Top 17%
- 6
Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington, IL · Private nonprofit#7 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B-
- 7
Knox College
Galesburg, IL · Private nonprofit#8 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B-
- 8
Loyola University Chicago
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 13% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade C+
- 9
Augustana College
Rock Island, IL · Private nonprofit#10 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B
- 10
Bradley University
Peoria, IL · Private nonprofitTop 13% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B · Top 47%
- 11
DePaul University
Chicago, IL · Private nonprofitTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B-
- 12
University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago, IL · PublicTop 16% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade A+ · Top 2%
- 13
University of St. Francis
Joliet, IL · Private nonprofitTop 21% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade A · Top 8%
- 14
Elmhurst University
Elmhurst, IL · Private nonprofitTop 21% for graduation
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B · Top 43%
- 15
Lewis University
Romeoville, IL · Private nonprofitTop 18% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade A- · Top 16%
- 16
North Central College
Naperville, IL · Private nonprofit#18 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B · Top 45%
- 17
Hebrew Theological College
Skokie, IL · Private nonprofitTop 17% for low debt
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade C+
- 18
Illinois State University
Normal, IL · PublicTop 24% for earnings
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B+ · Top 26%
- 19
Trinity Christian College
Palos Heights, IL · Private nonprofit#21 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B · Top 47%
- 20Tie
Monmouth College
Monmouth, IL · Private nonprofit#22 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B
- 20Tie
Olivet Nazarene University
Bourbonnais, IL · Private nonprofit#22 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B-
- 22Tie
Aurora University
Aurora, IL · Private nonprofit#25 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B+ · Top 29%
- 22Tie
Judson University
Elgin, IL · Private nonprofit#25 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B · Top 44%
- 24
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Edwardsville, IL · Public#27 in Illinois
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade B+ · Top 21%
- 25
University of Illinois Springfield
Springfield, IL · PublicTop 15% for low net price
- Bachelor’s program in business
- Value grade A · Top 6%
Compare cost and outcomes
| School | Net price a year | Median debt | Earnings 10 years out | Graduation rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Northwestern University | About $29,000 | $15,000 | $89,363 | 95% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | About $14,000 | $19,500 | $81,054 | 85% |
| Wheaton College | About $27,000 | $23,250 | $63,756 | 85% |
| Lake Forest College | About $29,000 | $26,158 | $61,825 | 78% |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | About $18,000 | $25,000 | $82,592 | 75% |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | About $28,000 | $27,000 | $70,871 | 75% |
| Knox College | About $25,000 | $27,000 | $54,820 | 68% |
| Loyola University Chicago | About $36,000 | $24,157 | $71,530 | 73% |
| Augustana College | About $23,000 | $27,000 | $62,971 | 73% |
| Bradley University | About $23,000 | $27,000 | $66,852 | 76% |
| DePaul University | About $31,000 | $23,168 | $68,751 | 68% |
| University of Illinois Chicago | About $11,000 | $16,704 | $68,740 | 62% |
| University of St. Francis | About $13,000 | $21,079 | $63,926 | 67% |
| Elmhurst University | About $24,000 | $20,489 | $61,462 | 70% |
| Lewis University | About $17,000 | $21,500 | $66,099 | 67% |
| North Central College | About $21,000 | $24,500 | $60,123 | 64% |
| Hebrew Theological College | About $27,000 | $14,000 | $33,291 | 50% |
| Illinois State University | About $19,000 | $20,482 | $62,117 | 65% |
| Trinity Christian College | About $19,000 | $25,009 | $55,700 | 58% |
| Monmouth College | About $17,000 | $27,000 | $51,110 | 65% |
| Olivet Nazarene University | About $21,000 | $25,000 | $53,213 | 61% |
| Aurora University | About $19,000 | $20,318 | $58,709 | 60% |
| Judson University | About $19,000 | $25,000 | $56,313 | 60% |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | About $15,000 | $20,500 | $56,346 | 57% |
| University of Illinois Springfield | About $10,000 | $19,128 | $57,103 | 53% |
Net price is the average yearly cost after grants. Federal data (College Scorecard). “—” means the school reports no figure.
This list in other states
- Alabama 26
- Alaska 5
- Arizona 14
- Arkansas 23
- California 88
- Colorado 17
- Connecticut 22
- Delaware 4
- District of Columbia 9
- Florida 51
- Georgia 57
- Hawaii 6
- Idaho 8
- Indiana 41
- Iowa 27
- Kansas 26
- Kentucky 26
- Louisiana 23
- Maine 13
- Maryland 23
- Massachusetts 50
- Michigan 40
- Minnesota 34
- Mississippi 15
- Missouri 43
- Montana 10
- Nebraska 17
- Nevada 4
- New Hampshire 11
- New Jersey 28
- New Mexico 10
- New York 109
- North Carolina 49
- North Dakota 9
- Ohio 72
- Oklahoma 23
- Oregon 16
- Pennsylvania 108
- Puerto Rico 41
- Rhode Island 10
- South Carolina 34
- South Dakota 10
- Tennessee 38
- Texas 79
- Utah 11
- Vermont 6
- Virginia 47
- Washington 20
- West Virginia 19
- Wisconsin 34
- Wyoming 3