Best Online Colleges in Illinois of 2025

University Headquarters (HQ) is an industry-leading, independent educational organization that provides independent college rankings using a proprietary formula to create first class, unbiased rankings. The team at University HQ strives to provide accurate and trustworthy rankings that highlight the best programs in Illinois.

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The economy in Illinois is growing; unemployment claims have fallen from a high of 437,800 down to 333,100 between July, 2021 and December, 2021. In June, the state had 6,206,600 employed and in December, this number was around 65,000 higher. You’ll find that, for most employment sectors, employment rose during this time, though financial activities and government both experienced temporary dips.

For instance, the construction industry saw employment go up and dip down, incrementally. Manufacturing saw a percentage change going up—more manufacturing companies were hiring employees toward the end of 2021 than in the middle of the year. Trade, transportation and utilities experienced one of the larger percentage increases; beginning in June, the percentage was 2.9% and, in December, this had increased to 4.1%.

This puts new students and college graduates in a good position to take advantage of a steady, or even expanding, economy. If you have been thinking about taking a break from school or are worried about where the economy in the state will be when you graduate, these numbers might give you the impetus you need to start your college search and find the right institution to get you into the workforce.

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Online Higher Education in Illinois

What do the enrollment numbers look like for distance learners versus on-campus students?
Online enrollment is popular in Illinois. For students who are considering enrolling only in online courses, 350,900+ students currently fall into this category. Around 149,800 students have enrolled in some online courses but are also attending courses on-campus for their degree programs. This is out of a total enrollment of 693,740 students attending undergraduate schools, 397,018 who are enrolled in online courses, and 103,713 who have taken at least one graduate course online rather than in-person.

These numbers illustrate the growing popularity and accessibility of online learning.

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What are the differences in costs for online students such as those for books, supplies, and more?
One of the reasons that students are considering online learning more often these days is the fact that these degrees are just as respected as traditional degrees and the difference it can make in the cost of your schooling. Students should, of course, consider the cost of books and supplies when they consider what their financial obligation might be for school.

In 2021, distance learners paid $1,264 for books and supplies. Students living in campus housing, such as college apartments or dorms, tend to pay more than those students who live off-campus. For online learners, the average living costs for colleges and universities in Illinois was $12,571 for the 2021 academic year. As costs go up for everyone, there is good reason to think about where you can save during your college career.

Our School Rankings Methodology

Our researchers take the task of determining college and university rankings seriously. Taking the numbers and putting them together into an intelligible picture can help students and their parents decide which colleges and universities they want to attend.

Our school rankings use figures for retention rates, admission rates, graduation rates, and graduating salary figures, among others to decide which schools are the best in every category. And, as students read through our rankings, they will soon be able to put together a picture that tells them where they are likely to benefit the most. You already know what you want out of a school subjectively; here you can learn some objective facts that can help you find the school that is right for you.

We collect our data from the most reliable sources. These include educational and government resources such as the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS).