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2026 Best Value Medicine Schools in Illinois

6 Colleges in the United States
$20,102 Avg Student Debt
$75,994 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value Medicine Badge [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

1

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.

2

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.

3

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.

4

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.

5

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.

6

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.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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