2026 Best Value Business/Managerial Economics Schools in Illinois
[Business/Managerial Economics](/majors/business-management-marketing-sales/business-managerial-economics/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
College Factual analyzed 9 schools to build this 2026 ranking of the best value business/managerial economics schools.
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2026 Best Value Business/Managerial Economics Schools in Illinois
If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the business/managerial economics degrees they offer, see the list below.
Best Value Business/Managerial Economics Schools
For return on investment in business/managerial economics, no school beat Wheaton College Illinois this year. Wheaton College Illinois is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Wheaton. Students from in state pay about $45,546 in tuition and fees. Business/managerial Economics graduates carry a median of $24,000 in student loans. Early-career business/managerial economics graduates make about $55,300. That is a strong return on a $24,000 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
Northwestern University came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value business/managerial economics schools. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. In-state tuition and fees average $68,322. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete the business/managerial economics program here. Early-career business/managerial economics graduates make about $78,551. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Depaul University earned it the #3 place for business/managerial economics. Located in the city of Chicago, Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for business/managerial economics graduates is $21,666. Business/managerial Economics graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $53,682 early in their careers. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.
Students looking for strong value in business/managerial economics will find it at Loyola University Chicago, which ranked #4. Located in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $53,710. Students borrow a median of $21,574 to complete the business/managerial economics program here. Early-career business/managerial economics graduates make about $61,333. That is a strong return on a $21,574 median debt. The acceptance rate is 82%.
More Business/Managerial Economics Rankings
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs the cost of a degree against the earnings graduates go on to achieve, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 9 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 3 ranked 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 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).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
