What is Accounting?
An accountant is a financial specialist who has earned one of several college degrees. They may have entered a college of business bachelor’s accounting degree program, where they learned the basics. Or, they may have decided to begin with an associate degree before moving into a bachelor’s, only later going on to their master’s in the field. Students can also earn their degree through online programs, which easily include all accounting knowledge.
The occupational employment of accountants and auditors in Illinois is strong. There were more than 53,100 accountants and auditors in the state in 2023, and the industry shows no signs of going away or shrinking significantly any time soon.
While these specialists may examine and work on financial records, this is only a small part of an accountants work. For example, they may perform cost accounting, working within a systematic set of procedures that enable them to record and report the measurements on the cost of manufactured goods and services. Or they may focus on taxes, auditing, and more.
Top Ranked Campus & Online Accounting Programs in Illinois
1
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Score: 91.11
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $16,004
- Out-of-State:$34,501
- Net Price: $14,544
- Acceptance Rate: 45%
- Retention Rate: 93%
- Graduation Rate: 85%
- Total Enrollment: 56,916
- Undergrad Students: 35,120
- Graduate Students: 21,796
- Grads Salary: $84,000
- Student-to-faculty: 21:1
2
University of St. Francis
Score: 82.72
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $37,000
- Out-of-State:$37,000
- Net Price: $18,560
- Acceptance Rate: 58%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 65%
- Total Enrollment: 3,297
- Undergrad Students: 1,414
- Graduate Students: 1,883
- Grads Salary: $88,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
3
University of Illinois Chicago
Score: 80.14
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,338
- Out-of-State:$29,360
- Net Price: $10,384
- Acceptance Rate: 79%
- Retention Rate: 78%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 33,747
- Undergrad Students: 21,807
- Graduate Students: 11,940
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 18:1
4
Illinois Wesleyan University
Score: 79.6
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $55,704
- Out-of-State:$55,704
- Net Price: $30,096
- Acceptance Rate: 42%
- Retention Rate: 82%
- Graduation Rate: 79%
- Total Enrollment: 1,527
- Undergrad Students: 1,527
- Graduate Students: N/A
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
5
Bradley University
Score: 78.96
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $39,680
- Out-of-State:$39,680
- Net Price: $24,053
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 83%
- Graduation Rate: 76%
- Total Enrollment: 5,552
- Undergrad Students: 4,143
- Graduate Students: 1,409
- Grads Salary: $78,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
6
Augustana College
Score: 78.57
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $49,834
- Out-of-State:$49,834
- Net Price: $24,660
- Acceptance Rate: 61%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 2,349
- Undergrad Students: 2,318
- Graduate Students: 31
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
7
Millikin University
Score: 78.4
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $43,670
- Out-of-State:$43,670
- Net Price: $10,492
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 58%
- Total Enrollment: 1,807
- Undergrad Students: 1,708
- Graduate Students: 99
- Grads Salary: $78,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
8
Lewis University
Score: 77.06
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $37,882
- Out-of-State:$37,882
- Net Price: $19,184
- Acceptance Rate: 74%
- Retention Rate: 81%
- Graduation Rate: 62%
- Total Enrollment: 6,513
- Undergrad Students: 3,933
- Graduate Students: 2,580
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
9
Lake Forest College
Score: 76.68
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $54,202
- Out-of-State:$54,202
- Net Price: $27,839
- Acceptance Rate: 60%
- Retention Rate: 85%
- Graduation Rate: 78%
- Total Enrollment: 1,753
- Undergrad Students: 1,727
- Graduate Students: 26
- Grads Salary: $72,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
10
Saint Xavier University
Score: 75.8
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $36,840
- Out-of-State:$36,840
- Net Price: $11,302
- Acceptance Rate: 84%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 53%
- Total Enrollment: 3,523
- Undergrad Students: 2,981
- Graduate Students: 542
- Grads Salary: $79,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
11
Olivet Nazarene University
Score: 75.46
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $37,940
- Out-of-State:$37,940
- Net Price: $20,059
- Acceptance Rate: 58%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 3,255
- Undergrad Students: 2,519
- Graduate Students: 736
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
12
Trinity Christian College
Score: 75.01
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $20,325
- Out-of-State:$20,325
- Net Price: $18,822
- Acceptance Rate: 71%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
- Total Enrollment: 908
- Undergrad Students: 854
- Graduate Students: 54
- Grads Salary: $69,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
13
University of Illinois Springfield
Score: 74.84
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,252
- Out-of-State:$22,017
- Net Price: $11,733
- Acceptance Rate: 82%
- Retention Rate: 76%
- Graduation Rate: 53%
- Total Enrollment: 4,198
- Undergrad Students: 2,393
- Graduate Students: 1,805
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
14
Northern Illinois University
Score: 74.81
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $12,700
- Out-of-State:$12,700
- Net Price: $13,884
- Acceptance Rate: 71%
- Retention Rate: 65%
- Graduation Rate: 53%
- Total Enrollment: 15,649
- Undergrad Students: 11,429
- Graduate Students: 4,220
- Grads Salary: $78,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
15
DePaul University
Score: 74.25
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $44,460
- Out-of-State:$44,460
- Net Price: $32,151
- Acceptance Rate: 70%
- Retention Rate: 84%
- Graduation Rate: 69%
- Total Enrollment: 20,917
- Undergrad Students: 14,134
- Graduate Students: 6,783
- Grads Salary: $80,000
- Student-to-faculty: 17:1
16
North Park University
Score: 74.06
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $35,325
- Out-of-State:$35,325
- Net Price: $19,029
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 2,660
- Undergrad Students: 1,868
- Graduate Students: 792
- Grads Salary: $77,000
- Student-to-faculty: 10:1
17
North Central College
Score: 73.79
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $44,394
- Out-of-State:$44,394
- Net Price: $25,285
- Acceptance Rate: 61%
- Retention Rate: 77%
- Graduation Rate: 63%
- Total Enrollment: 2,695
- Undergrad Students: 2,368
- Graduate Students: 327
- Grads Salary: $75,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
18
Elmhurst University
Score: 72.61
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $41,628
- Out-of-State:$41,628
- Net Price: $24,108
- Acceptance Rate: 76%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 64%
- Total Enrollment: 3,731
- Undergrad Students: 3,027
- Graduate Students: 704
- Grads Salary: $73,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
19
Illinois State University
Score: 72.59
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $16,021
- Out-of-State:$28,086
- Net Price: $20,551
- Acceptance Rate: 86%
- Retention Rate: 80%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 20,683
- Undergrad Students: 18,055
- Graduate Students: 2,628
- Grads Salary: $71,000
- Student-to-faculty: 19:1
20
Western Illinois University
Score: 72.37
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $14,952
- Out-of-State:$14,952
- Net Price: $11,213
- Acceptance Rate: 75%
- Retention Rate: 67%
- Graduation Rate: 47%
- Total Enrollment: 7,643
- Undergrad Students: 5,309
- Graduate Students: 2,334
- Grads Salary: $74,000
- Student-to-faculty: 13:1
21
Eastern Illinois University
Score: 72.31
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,403
- Out-of-State:$15,879
- Net Price: $13,380
- Acceptance Rate: 68%
- Retention Rate: 71%
- Graduation Rate: 55%
- Total Enrollment: 8,857
- Undergrad Students: 6,916
- Graduate Students: 1,941
- Grads Salary: $69,000
- Student-to-faculty: 15:1
22
Illinois College
Score: 72.08
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $37,470
- Out-of-State:$37,470
- Net Price: $16,296
- Acceptance Rate: 77%
- Retention Rate: 73%
- Graduation Rate: 67%
- Total Enrollment: 1,029
- Undergrad Students: 1,028
- Graduate Students: 1
- Grads Salary: $64,000
- Student-to-faculty: 12:1
23
Quincy University
Score: 71.87
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $35,740
- Out-of-State:$35,740
- Net Price: $11,985
- Acceptance Rate: 62%
- Retention Rate: 69%
- Graduation Rate: 50%
- Total Enrollment: 1,307
- Undergrad Students: 1,147
- Graduate Students: 160
- Grads Salary: $69,000
- Student-to-faculty: 14:1
24
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale
Score: 71.43
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $13,244
- Out-of-State:$13,244
- Net Price: $16,990
- Acceptance Rate: 91%
- Retention Rate: 70%
- Graduation Rate: 49%
- Total Enrollment: 11,107
- Undergrad Students: 8,000
- Graduate Students: 3,107
- Grads Salary: $78,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
25
Dominican University
Score: 70.39
- Undergraduate Tuition
- In-State: $37,844
- Out-of-State:$37,844
- Net Price: $18,162
- Acceptance Rate: 90%
- Retention Rate: 75%
- Graduation Rate: 59%
- Total Enrollment: 3,196
- Undergrad Students: 2,136
- Graduate Students: 1,060
- Grads Salary: $69,000
- Student-to-faculty: 11:1
