Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Illinois
Key facts
- #1 Chamberlain University-Illinois, IL: $92k
- #2 University of Chicago, IL: $92k
- #3 Northwestern University, IL: $89k
- 100 colleges ranked across Illinois
- Data as of November 2026
For comparison: $49k across the typical college in this list.
- 1Chamberlain University-Illinois IL$92k
- 2University of Chicago IL$92k
- 3Northwestern University IL$89k
- 4Illinois Institute of Technology IL$83k
- 5University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign IL$81k
- 6Loyola University Chicago IL$72k
- 7Illinois Wesleyan University IL$71k
- 8DePaul University IL$69k
- 9University of Illinois Chicago IL$69k
- 10Bradley University IL$67k
What stands out
- The top ten is tightly packed: Chamberlain University-Illinois leads on $92k, and #10 Bradley University is at $67k.
- Illinois Wesleyan University reaches #7 on a sample of 1,582 students enrolled, a smaller market than most of the top ten, so its rank can move more from month to month.
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the largest market in the top ten, with 36,258 students enrolled behind its figure.
- Colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked, and small differences between neighbouring ranks are not meaningful.
Why this ranking matters
What it shows
Median earnings ten years after enrolling show what former students of a college go on to earn, as the Department of Education publishes it.
How to use it
Compare colleges within the same level and field, and read earnings next to completion rate and net price. Earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as the college.
The top 25
- 1
Chamberlain University-Illinois IL
$92k
- Completion rate
- 42%
- Net price a year
- $31,837
- Private for-profit
- 14,027 students
Based on 14,027 students enrolled.
Chamberlain University-Illinois: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 2
University of Chicago IL
$92k
- Completion rate
- 96%
- Net price a year
- $14,860
- Private nonprofit
- 7,569 students
Based on 7,569 students enrolled.
- 3
Northwestern University IL
$89k
- Completion rate
- 95%
- Net price a year
- $29,167
- Private nonprofit
- 9,201 students
Based on 9,201 students enrolled.
- 4
Illinois Institute of Technology IL
$83k
- Completion rate
- 75%
- Net price a year
- $18,425
- Private nonprofit
- 2,833 students
Based on 2,833 students enrolled.
Illinois Institute of Technology: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 5
- Completion rate
- 85%
- Net price a year
- $14,355
- Public
- 36,258 students
Based on 36,258 students enrolled.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 6
Loyola University Chicago IL
$72k
- Completion rate
- 73%
- Net price a year
- $36,079
- Private nonprofit
- 11,737 students
Based on 11,737 students enrolled.
Loyola University Chicago: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 7
Illinois Wesleyan University IL
$71k
- Completion rate
- 75%
- Net price a year
- $28,199
- Private nonprofit
- 1,582 students
Based on 1,582 students enrolled.
Illinois Wesleyan University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 8
DePaul University IL
$69k
- Completion rate
- 68%
- Net price a year
- $30,902
- Private nonprofit
- 14,090 students
Based on 14,090 students enrolled.
- 9
University of Illinois Chicago IL
$69k
- Completion rate
- 62%
- Net price a year
- $10,974
- Public
- 22,170 students
Based on 22,170 students enrolled.
University of Illinois Chicago: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 10
Bradley University IL
$67k
- Completion rate
- 76%
- Net price a year
- $22,719
- Private nonprofit
- 3,574 students
Based on 3,574 students enrolled.
- 11
Lewis University IL
$66k
- Completion rate
- 67%
- Net price a year
- $17,028
- Private nonprofit
- 4,015 students
Based on 4,015 students enrolled.
- 12
University of St Francis IL
$64k
- Completion rate
- 67%
- Net price a year
- $13,006
- Private nonprofit
- 1,223 students
Based on 1,223 students enrolled.
University of St Francis: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 13
Wheaton College IL
$64k
- Completion rate
- 85%
- Net price a year
- $26,975
- Private nonprofit
- 2,121 students
Based on 2,121 students enrolled.
- 14
Benedictine University IL
$63k
- Completion rate
- 50%
- Net price a year
- $22,313
- Private nonprofit
- 1,942 students
Based on 1,942 students enrolled.
- 15
Augustana College IL
$63k
- Completion rate
- 73%
- Net price a year
- $22,736
- Private nonprofit
- 2,490 students
Based on 2,490 students enrolled.
- 16
Illinois State University IL
$62k
- Completion rate
- 65%
- Net price a year
- $19,398
- Public
- 19,057 students
Based on 19,057 students enrolled.
Illinois State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
- 17
Lake Forest College IL
$62k
- Completion rate
- 78%
- Net price a year
- $28,673
- Private nonprofit
- 1,813 students
Based on 1,813 students enrolled.
- 18
Elmhurst University IL
$61k
- Completion rate
- 70%
- Net price a year
- $24,185
- Private nonprofit
- 3,006 students
Based on 3,006 students enrolled.
- 19
Dominican University IL
$60k
- Completion rate
- 55%
- Net price a year
- $11,745
- Private nonprofit
- 2,561 students
Based on 2,561 students enrolled.
- 20
North Central College IL
$60k
- Completion rate
- 64%
- Net price a year
- $21,044
- Private nonprofit
- 2,428 students
Based on 2,428 students enrolled.
- 21
North Park University IL
$60k
- Completion rate
- 58%
- Net price a year
- $16,948
- Private nonprofit
- 1,818 students
Based on 1,818 students enrolled.
- 22
Aurora University IL
$59k
- Completion rate
- 60%
- Net price a year
- $18,838
- Private nonprofit
- 3,974 students
Based on 3,974 students enrolled.
- 23
Saint Xavier University IL
$59k
- Completion rate
- 57%
- Net price a year
- $10,970
- Private nonprofit
- 3,096 students
Based on 3,096 students enrolled.
- 24
McKendree University IL
$59k
- Completion rate
- 53%
- Net price a year
- $24,717
- Private nonprofit
- 1,752 students
Based on 1,752 students enrolled.
- 25
Governors State University IL
$58k
- Completion rate
- 22%
- Net price a year
- $12,329
- Public
- 2,556 students
Based on 2,556 students enrolled.
Governors State University: programs, pay and open jobs nearby
Full ranking
All 100 colleges that qualified, with the figure each is ranked on.
How this ranking works
Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones.
Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
Sample bar: colleges with fewer than 500 students enrolled are not ranked.
Sources: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard (median earnings, completion, net price), as held in our college tables. Data as of November 2026.
Our job data covers professional roles on the career sites of employers we track, so figures describe that market, not every job. Spot an error? Tell us.
Questions
- Which certification ranks first: colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in illinois?
- Chamberlain University-Illinois leads Illinois among colleges for earnings: its former students earn a median of $92k ten years after enrolling, against $49k for the typical college in this list.
- How many colleges are ranked?
- 100 colleges have at least 500 students enrolled, so the list has 100 entries.
- How is the ranking calculated?
- Earnings are the median earnings of students who received federal financial aid, ten years after they first enrolled, as published in the Department of Education College Scorecard. They describe past students, not a promise for future ones. Only colleges with at least 500 students and published earnings are ranked. A college's earnings reflect who enrolls and what they study as much as what the college teaches.
- How often is it updated?
- Every month. This is the November 2026 edition. Older editions stay on this site at their own dated addresses.
More rankings
- Best cities for junior jobs in Illinois
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Four-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Community and two-year colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Northeast
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in New England
- Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in the Mid-Atlantic
- All rankings
Cite this ranking
NextChapter, “Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Illinois,” November 2026 edition. https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-illinois
Link to it: <a href="https://launchyournextchapter.com/rankings/colleges-with-the-highest-earnings-in-illinois">Colleges with the highest earnings 10 years after enrolling in Illinois (NextChapter, November 2026)</a>
Download the data: CSV · JSON. Free to use with a link back.
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