Top Economics Programs in Illinois by Earnings (2026)
Updated
This page ranks the 18 Economics programs in Illinois by median earnings of Economics graduates four years after completing. University of Chicago leads the list at $159,578, followed by Northwestern University at $126,006 and DePaul University at $100,185.
The spread from the highest to the lowest reported figure is $122,637, and the median across the listed programs is $62,786. For 6 of the 18 programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one.
The list includes 6 public and 12 private nonprofit institutions. University of Illinois Chicago posts the lowest average net price at $10,974, and Dominican University has the highest admission rate, admitting 90% of applicants.
University of Illinois Chicago ranks 17th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.
The ranked list
| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago · Chicago, IL | $159,578 | $14,860 | -$1,264* | 4.5% |
| University of Chicago reports $159,578 in median earnings of Economics graduates four years after completing, the highest figure on this list, alongside an admission rate of 4%. | |||||
| 2 | Northwestern University · Evanston, IL | $126,006 | $29,167 | $1,764 | 7.7% |
| Northwestern University reports median earnings of $126,006 four years after completing, and median federal debt of $15,250 among Economics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 3 | DePaul University · Chicago, IL | $100,185 | $30,902 | $27,359 | 75.9% |
| A private nonprofit university in Chicago, DePaul University posts median earnings of $100,185 for its Economics graduates four years after completing and an average net price of $30,902. | |||||
| 4 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $86,860 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42% of applicants and its Economics graduates earn a median of $86,860 four years after completing, with a cohort of 387 graduates in the earnings cohort. | |||||
| 5 | Wheaton College · Wheaton, IL | $84,829 | $26,975 | $20,001 | 87.4% |
| Wheaton College reports median earnings of $84,829 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, and median federal debt of $21,000 among Economics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 6 | North Central College · Naperville, IL | $80,494 | $21,044 | $12,507 | 77.3% |
| North Central College ranks 6th on this list, with an average net price of $21,044 and median earnings of $80,494 four years after completing. | |||||
| 7 | Olivet Nazarene University · Bourbonnais, IL | $68,935 | $20,729 | $17,232 | 55.9% |
| Olivet Nazarene University reports median earnings of $68,935 for its Economics graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 56%. | |||||
| 8 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $66,760 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
| Northern Illinois University reports median earnings of $66,760 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, and median federal debt of $24,976 among Economics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 9 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $63,429 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
| University of Illinois Chicago carries an average net price of $10,974, the lowest on the page, and its Economics graduates earn a median of $63,429 four years after completing. | |||||
| 10 | Knox College · Galesburg, IL | $62,144 | $24,595 | $17,134 | 70.8% |
| Knox College ranks 10th on this list, with median earnings of $62,144 four years after completing and an admission rate of 71%. | |||||
| 11 | Illinois Wesleyan University · Bloomington, IL | $61,516 | $28,199 | $17,732 | 39.3% |
| Illinois Wesleyan University admits 39% of applicants and reports median earnings of $61,516 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 12 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $60,612 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale reports median earnings of $60,612 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, and median federal debt of $21,201 among Economics completers who borrowed. | |||||
| 13 | Northeastern Illinois University · Chicago, IL | $58,252 | $14,109 | $13,709 | 74.6% |
| Northeastern Illinois University reports median earnings of $58,252 for its Economics graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $14,109. | |||||
| 14 | Dominican University · River Forest, IL | $54,644 | $11,745 | $9,759 | 90.3% |
| Admitting 90% of applicants, Dominican University posts median earnings of $54,644 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 15 | Elmhurst University · Elmhurst, IL | $48,823 | $24,185 | $17,892 | 73.6% |
| Elmhurst University, a private nonprofit institution in Elmhurst, ranks 15th on this list with median earnings of $48,823 four years after completing. | |||||
| 16 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $46,422 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
| Illinois State University shows an average net price of $11,568 for families earning under $30,000 and median earnings of $46,422 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
| 17 | Lake Forest College · Lake Forest, IL | $46,087 | $28,673 | $19,605 | 56.8% |
| With a cohort of 36 graduates, Lake Forest College reports median earnings of $46,087 four years after completing and an admission rate of 57%. | |||||
| 18 | Augustana College · Rock Island, IL | $36,941 | $22,736 | $15,787 | 62.7% |
| Augustana College ranks 1049th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $36,941 for its Economics graduates four years after completing. | |||||
* Net price can be negative: when grants and scholarships exceed the listed cost of attendance, students can receive the difference as a refund for other expenses.
How this list is ordered
Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Economics graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Illinois appear. The figure covers federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 6 of the 18 listed programs the figure is the two-year completion median rather than the four-year one. The metric does not adjust for graduate school enrollment, cost, or who enrolls, and it is not a measure of teaching quality. The range from University of Chicago to the bottom of the list spans $122,637, and the gap between University of Chicago and Northwestern University is $33,572.