2026 Best Best Schools in Illinois

Best degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.

To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 8 schools to find the best for best students.

What’s on this page:

• Best Best Schools in Illinois

Best Schools for Best in Illinois

Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall best education in Illinois.

Top Schools in Best

1

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign
Champaign, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

95 Best Degrees Awarded

$57,461 Median Starting Salary

University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is one of the finest schools in the country for getting a degree in best. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a very large public school located in the city of Champaign. About 85% of students finish within six years. About 95 best degrees were awarded at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign in the most recent year. Students who receive their best degree from University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earn around $57,461 in the first couple years of their career. Students borrow a median of $20,778 to complete this degree. See the full best program report for University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign

2

Depaul University
Chicago, IL

Doctoral Degree Highest Degree Type

100 Best Degrees Awarded

$55,226 Median Starting Salary

Depaul University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in best, landing the #2 spot this year. Depaul University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. Depaul University awarded about 100 best degrees in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from Depaul University generally make around $55,226. Depaul University graduates carry a median of $25,310 in student loans. See the full best program report for Depaul University

Notes and References

This ranking is produced by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).

Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 8 schools evaluated.

• 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.