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# Best Marketing Programs in Illinois (2026)

Updated September 30, 2026

Part of [Best Business Colleges in Illinois](/rankings/best-business-colleges-in-illinois/)

This page ranks the 25 Marketing programs in Illinois by the median earnings of Marketing graduates four years after completing. [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) leads the list at $90,744, followed by [Loyola University Chicago](/school/loyola-university-chicago/majors/) at $86,662 and [DePaul University](/school/depaul-university/majors/) at $78,164.

Across the listed schools, median earnings range from $90,744 to $37,748, with a median of $68,306.

The list includes 8 public and 17 private nonprofit institutions. Saint Xavier University reports the lowest average net price at $10,970.

University of Illinois Chicago ranks 17th on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions.

## The ranked list

25 schools in list order

| Rank | School | Program Earnings | Average net price | Net price, families under $30K | Admission rate |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| 1 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign · Champaign, IL | $90,744 | $14,355 | $2,038 | 42.4% |
|  | [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/) reports [$90,744 in median earnings](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/outcomes/) of Marketing graduates four years after completing and admits 42% of applicants. |
| 2 | Loyola University Chicago · Chicago, IL | $86,662 | $36,079 | $28,992 | 81.6% |
|  | [Loyola University Chicago](/school/loyola-university-chicago/majors/), a private nonprofit university in Chicago, posts [median earnings of $86,662](/school/loyola-university-chicago/outcomes/) for its Marketing graduates four years after completing. |
| 3 | DePaul University · Chicago, IL | $78,164 | $30,902 | $27,359 | 75.9% |
|  | [DePaul University](/school/depaul-university/majors/) ranks 3rd on this list, with a [median federal debt of $23,000](/school/depaul-university/cost/) among Marketing completers who borrowed. |
| 4 | Illinois State University · Normal, IL | $77,956 | $19,398 | $11,568 | 88.2% |
|  | [Illinois State University](/school/illinois-state-university/majors/) shows an [average net price of $19,398](/school/illinois-state-university/cost/) and a 243-graduate earnings cohort. |
| 5 | Northern Illinois University · Dekalb, IL | $76,373 | $13,391 | $10,126 | 69.8% |
|  | [Northern Illinois University](/school/northern-illinois-university/majors/) [ranks 116th on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/northern-illinois-university/) among nonprofit four-year institutions and reports median earnings of $76,373 for its Marketing graduates four years after completing. |
| 6 | Bradley University · Peoria, IL | $76,255 | $22,719 | $17,269 | 76.8% |
|  | [Bradley University](/school/bradley-university/majors/) has an [admission rate of 77%](/school/bradley-university/admissions/) and a median federal debt of $24,017 among Marketing completers who borrowed. |
| 7 | Elmhurst University · Elmhurst, IL | $72,286 | $24,185 | $17,892 | 73.6% |
|  | [Elmhurst University](/school/elmhurst-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $72,286](/school/elmhurst-university/outcomes/) for its Marketing graduates four years after completing, with a 29-graduate earnings cohort. |
| 8 | Millikin University · Decatur, IL | $71,399 | $21,989 | $18,659 | 66.7% |
|  | Millikin University reports an average net price of $21,989 and a median federal debt of $27,000 across all of the school's borrowers who completed. |
| 9 | University of Illinois Chicago · Chicago, IL | $71,293 | $10,974 | $7,529 | 77.4% |
|  | [University of Illinois Chicago](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/majors/) ranks 9th on this list and reports [median earnings of $71,293](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/outcomes/) for its Marketing graduates four years after completing. |
| 10 | North Central College · Naperville, IL | $71,123 | $21,044 | $12,507 | 77.3% |
|  | [North Central College](/school/north-central-college/majors/) shows [median earnings of $71,123](/school/north-central-college/outcomes/) for its Marketing graduates four years after completing and an admission rate of 77%. |
| 11 | Benedictine University · Lisle, IL | $70,129 | $22,313 | $20,168 | 95.2% |
|  | [Benedictine University](/school/benedictine-university/majors/) [admits 95% of applicants](/school/benedictine-university/admissions/) and reports a median federal debt of $20,201 among Marketing completers who borrowed. |
| 12 | Northeastern Illinois University · Chicago, IL | $69,011 | $14,109 | $13,709 | 74.6% |
|  | [Northeastern Illinois University](/school/northeastern-illinois-university/majors/) posts [median earnings of $69,011](/school/northeastern-illinois-university/outcomes/) for its Marketing graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $14,109. |
| 13 | Western Illinois University · Macomb, IL | $68,306 | $12,937 | $6,941 | 71.2% |
|  | [Western Illinois University](/school/western-illinois-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $68,306](/school/western-illinois-university/outcomes/) for its Marketing graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $12,937. |
| 14 | Lewis University · Romeoville, IL | $65,895 | $17,028 | $10,382 | 71.3% |
|  | [Lewis University](/school/lewis-university/majors/) shows [median federal debt of $20,325](/school/lewis-university/cost/) among Marketing completers who borrowed, and its graduates four years after completing earned a median of $65,895. |
| 15 | McKendree University · Lebanon, IL | $65,696 | $24,717 | $21,928 | 71.7% |
|  | McKendree University ranks 1052nd on Azimuth's composite ranking among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $65,696 for its Marketing graduates four years after completing. |
| 16 | Columbia College Chicago · Chicago, IL | $65,686 | $26,598 | $20,924 | 89.5% |
|  | Columbia College Chicago shows an average net price of $20,924 for families earning under $30,000 and a median of $25,250 in federal debt among Marketing completers who borrowed. |
| 17 | Saint Xavier University · Chicago, IL | $65,330 | $10,970 | $7,572 | 84.3% |
|  | [Saint Xavier University](/school/saint-xavier-university/majors/) ranks 17th on this list and reports [median earnings of $65,330](/school/saint-xavier-university/outcomes/) for its Marketing graduates four years after completing. |
| 18 | Aurora University · Aurora, IL | $64,813 | $18,838 | $14,525 | 80.9% |
|  | [Aurora University](/school/aurora-university/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $19,500](/school/aurora-university/cost/) among Marketing completers who borrowed, and its graduates four years after completing earned a median of $64,813. |
| 19 | Eastern Illinois University · Charleston, IL | $62,994 | $12,786 | $9,828 | 65.4% |
|  | [Eastern Illinois University](/school/eastern-illinois-university/majors/), a public university in Charleston, reports [median earnings of $62,994](/school/eastern-illinois-university/outcomes/) for its Marketing graduates four years after completing. |
| 20 | Trinity Christian College · Palos Heights, IL | $62,334 | $19,125 | $12,891 | 84.9% |
|  | Trinity Christian College shows an average net price of $19,125 and a median of $25,009 in federal debt across all of the school's borrowers who completed. |
| 21 | University of St Francis · Joliet, IL | $61,119 | $13,006 | $8,547 | 65.3% |
|  | [University of St Francis](/school/university-of-st-francis/majors/) [ranks 331st on Azimuth's composite ranking](/school/university-of-st-francis/) among nonprofit four-year institutions, with median earnings of $61,119 for its Marketing graduates four years after completing. |
| 22 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale · Carbondale, IL | $58,934 | $13,297 | $9,415 | 86.9% |
|  | [Southern Illinois University-Carbondale](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/majors/) reports [median federal debt of $23,625](/school/southern-illinois-university-carbondale/cost/) among Marketing completers who borrowed, and its graduates four years after completing earned a median of $58,934. |
| 23 | Roosevelt University · Chicago, IL | $57,573 | $20,194 | $18,018 | 97.2% |
|  | [Roosevelt University](/school/roosevelt-university/majors/) reports [median earnings of $57,573](/school/roosevelt-university/outcomes/) for its Marketing graduates four years after completing, alongside an average net price of $18,018 for families earning under $30,000. |
| 24 | Olivet Nazarene University · Bourbonnais, IL | $56,787 | $20,729 | $17,232 | 55.9% |
|  | [Olivet Nazarene University](/school/olivet-nazarene-university/majors/) ranks 24th on this list and posts an [admission rate of 56%](/school/olivet-nazarene-university/admissions/). |
| 25 | Concordia University-Chicago · River Forest, IL | $37,748 | $18,436 | $16,795 | 92.8% |
|  | Concordia University-Chicago, a private nonprofit university in River Forest, reports $37,748 in median earnings for its Marketing graduates four years after completing, with 8 graduates in the earnings cohort. |

## How this list is ordered

Programs are ordered by the median earnings of their Marketing graduates four years after completing, highest first. Only programs with a reported earnings cohort in Illinois appear. The figure captures federally aided completers who were working and not enrolled four years after finishing. For 1 of the 25 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 Illinois Urbana-Champaign at $90,744 to the lowest listed program at $37,748 spans $52,996, and the gap between University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and Loyola University Chicago is $4,082.

## Related rankings

-   [Best Marketing Programs in the United States](/rankings/best-marketing-programs/)
-   [Best Colleges in Illinois](/rankings/best-colleges-in-illinois/)
-   [Top Marketing Programs in Texas by Earnings](/rankings/best-marketing-programs-in-texas/)
-   [Best Marketing Programs in New York](/rankings/best-marketing-programs-in-new-york/)
-   [Top Marketing Programs in Florida by Earnings](/rankings/best-marketing-programs-in-florida/)
-   [Best Business Colleges in Illinois](/rankings/best-business-colleges-in-illinois/)
-   [Best Accounting Colleges in Illinois](/rankings/best-accounting-colleges-in-illinois/)
-   Accounting Colleges in Illinois for Social Mobility
-   Business Colleges in Illinois for Social Mobility