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2026 Best Value General Public Health Schools in Illinois

9 Colleges in the United States
$23,800 Avg Student Debt
$69,445 Avg Median Earnings (10yr)
2026 Best Value General Public Health Badge [General Public Health](/majors/health-care-professions/public-health/public-health-general/) programs reward a close look at where your money goes furthest. The schools below stand out for delivering a strong general public health education at a price that pays off.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 15 schools on the balance of cost and outcomes for general public health students.

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2026 Best Value General Public Health Schools in Illinois

If you want to know which schools deliver the best value for the general public health degrees they offer, see the list below.

Best Value General Public Health Schools

1

For return on investment in general public health, no school beat University Of Illinois At Chicago this year. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. In-state tuition and fees average $15,949, with out-of-state students paying around $32,009. Typical student debt for general public health graduates is $22,987. General Public Health graduates of University Of Illinois At Chicago earn a median of $74,653 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,987 median debt. Roughly 77% of applicants are accepted.

2

A rank of #2 makes University Of Illinois At Springfield one of the best values for general public health. Located in the city of Springfield, University Of Illinois At Springfield is a moderately-sized public university. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $12,557, compared with $20,139 for out-of-state students. General Public Health graduates carry a median of $24,925 in student loans. Early-career general public health graduates make about $54,701. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 86%.

3

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northern Illinois University earned it the #3 place for general public health. Northern Illinois University is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. In-state tuition and fees average $13,060. Students borrow a median of $25,209 to complete the general public health program here. Early-career general public health graduates make about $52,308. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 70%.

4

A rank of #4 makes University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign one of the best values for general public health. Set in the city of Champaign, University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public institution. Students from in state pay about $18,267 in tuition and fees, compared with $40,096 for out-of-state students. Students borrow a median of $20,678 to complete the general public health program here. Early-career general public health graduates make about $48,900. That is a strong return on a $20,678 median debt. Roughly 42% of applicants are accepted.

5

The strong cost-to-outcome balance at Northeastern Illinois University earned it the #5 place for general public health. Located in the city of Chicago, Northeastern Illinois University is a moderately-sized public university. Students from in state pay about $12,383 in tuition and fees, compared with $22,726 for out-of-state students. Typical student debt for general public health graduates is $17,600. Early-career general public health graduates make about $49,254. That is a strong return on a $17,600 median debt. The acceptance rate is 75%.

6
Elmhurst College crest
Elmhurst College
Elmhurst, IL

Elmhurst College came in at #6 for value in general public health this year. Set in the suburb of Elmhurst, Elmhurst College is a mid-sized private not-for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $42,955 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general public health graduates is $22,400. General Public Health graduates of Elmhurst College earn a median of $51,232 early in their careers. That is a strong return on a $22,400 median debt. Elmhurst College admits about 74% of applicants.

7

Benedictine University landed the #7 spot for general public health value this year. Benedictine University is a mid-sized private not-for-profit school located in the suburb of Lisle. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $32,648. Students borrow a median of $25,338 to complete the general public health program here. Early-career general public health graduates make about $64,930. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Roughly 95% of applicants are accepted.

8

Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois came in at #8 for value in general public health this year. Set in the suburb of Addison, Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois is a very large private for-profit institution. Students from in state pay about $21,536 in tuition and fees. Students borrow a median of $39,146 to complete the general public health program here. Early-career general public health graduates make about $68,487. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. The acceptance rate is 83%.

9

Northwestern University came in at #9 for value in general public health this year. Located in the city of Evanston, Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit university. Students from in state pay about $68,322 in tuition and fees. Typical student debt for general public health graduates is $14,684. General Public Health graduates of Northwestern University earn a median of $53,408 early in their careers. Set against $14,684 in median debt, that is a healthy payoff. The acceptance rate is 8%.

10
Depaul University crest
Depaul University
Chicago, IL

Depaul University came in at #10 for value in general public health this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Students from in state pay about $45,405 in tuition and fees. General Public Health graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general public health degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $56,814. Weighed against typical debt, the earnings make a compelling case for value. Depaul University admits about 76% of applicants.

11

Loyola University Chicago came in at #11 for value in general public health this year. Set in the city of Chicago, Loyola University Chicago is a large private not-for-profit institution. In-state tuition and fees average $53,710. General Public Health graduates carry a median of $23,521 in student loans. Soon after graduation, general public health degree recipients from Loyola University Chicago generally make around $66,981. That is a strong return on a $23,521 median debt. 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. Schools are scored on the balance of cost (tuition and student debt) against student outcomes (post-graduation earnings) — a measure of return on investment, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Best Value · 15 schools evaluated.

*Averages shown above reflect the top 9 ranked schools only.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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