2026 Best Value Medicine Schools in Illinois

[Medicine](/majors/health-care-professions/medicine/) degree programs vary widely in price and payoff across the country. A high-value program keeps cost low while graduates go on to earn well.
For its 2026 best-value ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools to find the best return on investment for medicine students.
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2026 Best Value Medicine Schools in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest value in medicine, balancing cost against outcomes.
Best Value Medicine Schools
University Of Illinois At Chicago tops our 2026 list of the best value medicine schools in Illinois. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $15,949, compared with $32,009 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,115 to complete the medicine program here. Medicine graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $65,807 early in their careers. Set against $20,115 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.
University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign came in at #2 on our 2026 list of the best value medicine schools. Located in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public university. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, while out-of-state students pay about $40,096. Typical student debt for medicine graduates is $20,778. Soon after graduation, medicine degree recipients from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign generally make around $57,461. Set against $20,778 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.
A rank of #3 makes Southern Illinois University Carbondale one of the best values for medicine. Located in the town of Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Carbondale is a large public university. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $13,334. Students borrow a median of $23,730 to complete the medicine program here. Soon after graduation, medicine degree recipients from Southern Illinois University Carbondale generally make around $63,528. That is a strong return on a $23,730 median debt. Roughly 87% of applicants are accepted.
The strong cost-to-outcome balance at University Of Chicago earned it the #4 place for medicine. Located in the city of Chicago, University Of Chicago is a very large private not-for-profit university. In-state tuition and fees average $69,324. Typical student debt for medicine graduates is $15,854. Medicine graduates of University Of Chicago earn a median of $70,564 early in their careers. Set against $15,854 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. University Of Chicago admits about 4% of applicants.
A rank of #5 makes Northwestern University one of the best values for medicine. Set in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $16,616 to complete the medicine program here. Early-career medicine graduates make about $70,039. Set against $16,616 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. Northwestern University admits about 8% of applicants.
Loyola University Chicago ranked #6 on our 2026 list of the best value medicine schools. 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 $23,521 to complete the medicine program here. Soon after graduation, medicine degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $66,669. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 82% of applicants are accepted.
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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 · 10 schools evaluated.
*Averages shown above reflect the top 6 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.