Every Illinois university with published federal figures, ordered by how fast the debt clears. The typical graded US university clears its debt in 1.3 years on median earnings of $57,146 against $22,500 of debt.
| # | University | Grade | You borrow | Monthly | You earn | Debt clears in |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago Illinois | A | $15,000 | $171 | $91,885 | 0.3 yrs |
| 2 | Northwestern University Illinois | A | $15,000 | $171 | $89,363 | 0.3 yrs |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Illinois | A | $19,500 | $222 | $81,054 | 0.5 yrs |
| 4 | University of Illinois Chicago Illinois | A | $16,704 | $190 | $68,740 | 0.6 yrs |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology Illinois | A | $25,000 | $284 | $82,592 | 0.6 yrs |
| 6 | Loyola University Chicago Illinois | B | $24,157 | $275 | $71,530 | 0.8 yrs |
| 7 | DePaul University Illinois | B | $23,168 | $263 | $68,751 | 0.8 yrs |
| 8 | Lewis University Illinois | B | $21,500 | $244 | $66,099 | 0.8 yrs |
| 9 | Illinois Wesleyan University Illinois | B | $27,000 | $307 | $70,871 | 0.9 yrs |
| 10 | Illinois State University Illinois | B | $20,482 | $233 | $62,117 | 0.9 yrs |
| 11 | Benedictine University Illinois | B | $22,500 | $256 | $63,446 | 0.9 yrs |
| 12 | Wheaton College Illinois | B | $23,250 | $264 | $63,756 | 1 yrs |
| 13 | Bradley University Illinois | C | $27,000 | $307 | $66,852 | 1 yrs |
| 14 | Governors State University Illinois | C | $18,618 | $212 | $58,169 | 1 yrs |
| 15 | Aurora University Illinois | C | $20,318 | $231 | $58,709 | 1.1 yrs |
| 16 | university of illinois springfield Illinois | C | $19,128 | $217 | $57,103 | 1.1 yrs |
| 17 | Saint Xavier University Illinois | C | $22,223 | $253 | $58,656 | 1.2 yrs |
| 18 | Lake Forest College Illinois | C | $26,158 | $297 | $61,825 | 1.2 yrs |
| 19 | Northern Illinois University Illinois | C | $22,162 | $252 | $57,808 | 1.2 yrs |
| 20 | Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Illinois | C | $20,500 | $233 | $56,346 | 1.2 yrs |
| 21 | Waubonsee Community College Illinois | C | $7,000 | $80 | $44,788 | 1.3 yrs |
| 22 | Rockford University Illinois | C | $22,274 | $253 | $54,794 | 1.5 yrs |
| 23 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Illinois | C | $21,543 | $245 | $53,390 | 1.6 yrs |
| 24 | Eastern Illinois University Illinois | D | $21,500 | $244 | $51,989 | 1.7 yrs |
| 25 | Western Illinois University Illinois | D | $25,251 | $287 | $54,163 | 1.7 yrs |
| 26 | Knox College Illinois | D | $27,000 | $307 | $54,820 | 1.8 yrs |
| 27 | Olivet Nazarene University Illinois | D | $25,000 | $284 | $53,213 | 1.8 yrs |
| 28 | Eureka College Illinois | D | $23,250 | $264 | $51,641 | 1.9 yrs |
| 29 | Illinois College Illinois | D | $25,565 | $291 | $52,575 | 2 yrs |
| 30 | Quincy University Illinois | D | $24,000 | $273 | $50,369 | 2.2 yrs |
The debt column is shaped far more by residency and institutional aid than by anything else. If you are applying from another state or another country, the figures here understate what you would borrow — check the university's own net price for your situation.
Two universities in this state with identical graduate salaries can be two grades apart, because one leaves students owing twice as much. The payback column is the one that combines both.
Source: US Department of Education College Scorecard. Figures cover students who received federal financial aid and blend every subject at each institution. Information only, not financial advice.