The popularity of online courses continues to grow among Illinois college students. The National Center for Education Statistics reports that almost 24% of students are enrolled exclusively on distance education courses, and 28% enrolled in some online courses in Illinois. Over 12% of undergraduate and graduate students enrolled in Illinois schools choose to take all their courses online, and approximately 45% of these students are in state. Recent legislation has created a taskforce to help Illinois institutions address the career interests of high school students.
Illinois hosts a variety of degree-granting institutions, including its state-funded public schools, independently sponsored liberal arts colleges, and internationally recognized private research universities. Students can also choose from a system of publicly funded community colleges located throughout the state, as well as several for-profit trade and vocational schools. These institutions deliver associate, undergraduate, and graduate degrees in on-campus and online formats. This guide to the best online colleges in Illinois presents a useful overview of the overall higher education environment in Illinois, providing information on enrollment and costs at nonprofit and for-profit schools, financial aid opportunities, and the most promising job prospects for degree holders.
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Overview of Online Colleges in Illinois
A Brief Overview of Higher Education in Illinois
The National Center for Education Statistics reports that Illinois hosts a total of 147 degree-granting institutions; of the 57 public institutions, 12 operate as four-year schools, and 45 are two-year institutions. The state also has 75 nonprofit colleges and 15 for-profit schools. Illinois boasts the fourth-largest enrollment in the U.S. after California, Texas, and New York.[dataviz-stats public="57" non-profit="75" for-profit="15"]Educational costs in Illinois schools vary depending on the type of institution and a student's state of residency. According to CollegeBoard data for the 2023-2024 school year, public four-year institutions charged in-state students an average of $11,260 in tuition and fees, and $3,990 at two-year schools. Out-of-state students enrolling in Illinois schools paid an average of $29,350 for tuition and fees.Given its number of degree-granting institutions and high enrollment numbers, Illinois administers several grant programs, both need and non-need based. The National Association of State Student Grant and Aid Programs reported that Illinois distributed over $472 million in need-based grants and $828,147in grants without a need component.
Higher Education in Illinois
Featured Online Programs
The State of Online Higher Education in Illinois
According to the Distance Education State Almanac, 24% of the state's total student body of 193,935 were enrolled in one distance-learning course in 2015. The 100,225 Illinois residents enrolled in all of their courses online represent 12.5% of all students in the state, a rate lower than the national average of 14.3%. Among students enrolled exclusively in online courses, 44.5% live in Illinois. The number of Illinois students enrolled in any on-campus courses, including those in a mix of campus-based and online courses, has decreased from 92.3% to 87.5% since 2012, and this 4.8% decline in campus enrollments is steeper than the national 1.7% decrease.[dataviz-nces online="12.5" undergrad="72.5" in-state="44.5"]The Illinois State Board of Higher Education has made a strong commitment to online education. The Illinois Public Agenda for College and Career Success presents an ambitious plan to remove obstacles that Illinois residents face in earning college degrees, whether on-campus or online.The Illinois Community College Online, a consortium of 31 community colleges, provides another example of the support for distance learning. It supports a centralized hub for students to access course offerings, facilitate transcript retrieval, and manage registration and financial aid services. Its college members share resources to improve and expand their online programs and benefit from professional development opportunities for educators and technology staff.
Tuition Breaks for Out-of-State Students
Illinois has expanded access to affordable distance learning education for its residents through membership in the Midwestern Higher Education Compact (MHEC), a multistate tuition reciprocity program. Illinois allows students to enroll in online courses and programs at participating colleges and universities outside Illinois at greatly reduced tuition rates. For Illinois students taking online courses outside the state, this tuition reduction approximates in-state pricing.Administered through the MHEC's Midwest Student Exchange Program (MSEP), this cooperative initiative expands opportunities for affordable distance learning opportunities across the region. Public institutions participating in this tuition reciprocity program agree to charge students no more than 150% of the in-state resident tuition rate, and private institution members provide a 10% tuition reduction. Schools participate in MSEP voluntarily with enrollment decisions made at their discretion, and some schools reserve the right to impose restrictions on MSEP out-of-state applicants. Students participating in this program typically save between $500 and $5,000 each year in tuition costs.
Best Online Colleges in Illinois
Below, you will find our rankings of the best online four-year programs in Illinois. Our profiles look at how schools approach online education and then list out their services for distance students and their popular, fully online degrees. After reviewing the best online schools in Illinois, explore our state resources, like a database of every college and university in Illinois or our index of popular in-state scholarships.
Ranking Methodology
To determine the best online colleges in each state, we examined the factors most important to prospective students: Academic quality and reputation, online program strength, and cost and student aid. At the most basic level, we use the following formula to determine the best online colleges: Academic Quality + Online Offerings + Cost and Student Aid = Final Score. Of course, there's more to these calculations than meets the eye. Visit our methodology page to discover the data points that shape our formula and to learn more about the process we use to rank schools.
Most Affordable Online Colleges in Illinois
Below, we've produced another list of the top online schools in Illinois, sorted by their tuition rate.
Affordability Methodology
Our list of the most affordable online colleges is based on in-state yearly tuition, or annual tuition rates if a school does not differentiate between in-state and out-of-state students. Tuition rates are based on a full course load each semester or term. All colleges on the list offer at least one bachelor's degree completion program available entirely online.The online schools in IL with the lowest tuition are ranked highest, providing prospective students with a true list of the most affordable online colleges in their state.
College Graduate Outlook in Illinois
What Is the Job Outlook for College Graduates in Illinois?
According to the National Association of Colleges and Employers, a major source for information on college employment trends, employers across the U.S. continue to rely on recent college graduates to fill vacancies in a broad range of industries. While the Illinois economy remains volatile, the job outlook for college graduates has expanded. By August 2018, the overall unemployment rate in Illinois continued to decline to 4.1%, which is slightly higher than the national rate of 3.7%.