Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Illinois, Ranked (2026)

General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Illinois

General studies bachelor's degrees in Illinois are 12 programs at 12 colleges, and only 3 of them are public, which turns the level upside down from the state's associate degrees, where 36 of 37 programs are public. Three programs meet the ranking threshold, and two of those are private. DePaul University in Chicago scores 51.2, 78th in the national bachelor's ranking, and Aurora University scores 47.3, 94th. Northeastern Illinois University in Chicago, the one ranked public program, scores 10.9 and ranks 162nd.

DePaul takes the top score on completion and size together: a 68% graduation rate and 26 degrees in the latest year, more than any other general studies bachelor's in the state, at $44,174 a year in tuition and required fees for 2023-24 with no resident discount. Aurora graduates 60% on 22 degrees at $28,220. Northeastern Illinois charges residents $12,383, the lowest at this level, but graduates 22%, and its 10 degrees put it exactly on the threshold.

The nine programs below the threshold awarded 1 to 7 degrees each, and they include the two other public universities: Illinois State University in Normal, which graduates 65% at $14,121, and Chicago State University, 15% at $12,754. Bradley University in Peoria has the highest graduation rate at this level, 76%, on 2 degrees at $39,680, and Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais is the only program you can finish online. Management analysts in Illinois earn a median of $104,270, above the national $101,860, on 45,820 jobs.

The 3 Best General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Illinois

The best general studies bachelor's degrees in Illinois are ranked below by their national score, from the national bachelor's degree ranking. The number on each card is the program's place in Illinois. Each needed at least 10 graduates in the latest year to be ranked.

1. 1

   DePaul University

   Illinois

   51.2

   • Private nonprofit

   College graduation rate

   68%

   In-state tuition and fees

   $44,174 a year

   Degrees awarded, latest year

   26

   • College graduation rate percentile 91 / 100
   • In-state tuition and fees percentile 3 / 100
   • Degrees awarded, latest year percentile 37 / 100

   About the Program

   Some 21,210 students attend DePaul University, a private nonprofit university in Chicago, Illinois. During the most recent year on record it awarded 26 bachelor's degrees, a count at the 37th percentile for size. Across the whole college, 68% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 91% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $44,174 a year for every student, residents and nonresidents alike. Admission is selective enough to plan for, with 76% of applicants accepted. Its strongest mark is the graduation rate of its college, at the 91st percentile.

2. 2

   Aurora University

   Illinois

   47.3

   • Private nonprofit

   College graduation rate

   60%

   In-state tuition and fees

   $28,220 a year

   Degrees awarded, latest year

   22

   • College graduation rate percentile 78 / 100
   • In-state tuition and fees percentile 15 / 100
   • Degrees awarded, latest year percentile 31 / 100

   About the Program

   Based in Aurora, Illinois, Aurora University is a private nonprofit university with 5,923 students on its rolls. Some 22 bachelor's degrees were conferred in the last year on record, a bigger output than 31% of the programs ranked alongside it. Across the whole college, 60% of students finish, which is a higher rate than 78% of the institutions behind this list. Tuition and fees are $28,220 a year for every student, residents and nonresidents alike. Admission is selective enough to plan for, with 81% of applicants accepted. Its strongest mark is the graduation rate of its college, at the 78th percentile.

3. 3

   Northeastern Illinois University

   Illinois

   10.9

   • Public

   College graduation rate

   22%

   In-state tuition and fees

   $12,383 a year

   Degrees awarded, latest year

   10

   • College graduation rate percentile 2 / 100
   • In-state tuition and fees percentile 32 / 100
   • Degrees awarded, latest year percentile 1 / 100

   About the Program

   Based in Chicago, Illinois, Northeastern Illinois University is a public university with 5,734 students on its rolls. The program's last federal report shows 10 bachelor's degrees conferred, so it is larger than 1 in every 100 programs measured here. Of the students who start at Northeastern Illinois University, 22% graduate, and that beats 2 in every 100 institutions on this measure. Tuition and fees run $12,383 a year in state against $22,726 out of state, so on price it sits at the 32nd percentile. Admission is selective enough to plan for, with 75% of applicants accepted. Its strongest mark is price, at the 32nd percentile.

Other General Studies Bachelor's Degrees in Illinois

The other general studies bachelor's degrees in Illinois awarded fewer than 10 degrees in the latest year or did not report a figure the ranking uses, so they are listed here without a score. That says something about size and nothing on its own about quality.

Source: IPEDS, as of September 29, 2026. Graduation rate is the college's, for first-time, full-time students.

How Much Does a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Cost in Illinois?

A general studies bachelor's degree in Illinois costs a median of $33,936 a year in resident tuition and required fees for 2023-24, and the 12 programs run from $12,383 at Northeastern Illinois University to $44,174 at DePaul University. The median sits that high because nine of the twelve are private: Aurora at $28,220, Columbia College Chicago at $32,520, Benedictine at $32,546, North Park at $35,325, Quincy at $35,740, Lewis at $37,882, Olivet Nazarene at $37,940, Bradley at $39,680 and DePaul. The three public universities charge residents $12,383 at Northeastern Illinois, $12,754 at Chicago State and $14,121 at Illinois State, and non-residents $22,726, $12,754 and $23,479.

Illinois's need-based grant for undergraduates is the Monetary Award Program, and it's built to survive a slow finish. You stay eligible enrolled for a minimum of three credit hours, for either a semester or quarter term, so an adult completing a bachelor's one or two courses at a time still qualifies. The grant pays tuition and mandatory fees only, and at a private college the distance between the award and a $30,000 or $40,000 bill is yours to close with institutional aid, so ask each college for a net price.

How Does Credit Transfer Into a General Studies Bachelor's Degree in Illinois?

Credit transfers into a general studies bachelor's degree in Illinois through two statewide mechanisms, IAI for general education and the STAR Act for the degree itself, and the second binds only the public universities. Under IAI, all colleges and universities participating in IAI agree to accept a 'package' of IAI general education courses in lieu of their own comparable lower-division general education requirements. Arrive with the full package, 12 to 13 courses (37 to 41 semester credit hours), and lower-division general education is done. Ask DePaul, Aurora or any private college whether it participates, because the agreement reaches only its members.

At Northeastern Illinois, Chicago State and Illinois State, the STAR Act adds a guarantee. A community college student with an associate degree for transfer is deemed eligible for transfer into the baccalaureate program of a State university if the student meets the requirements of the transfer degree and major-specific prerequisites and obtains a minimum grade point average of 2.0 on a 4.0 scale. And once you're in, a State university may not require a student transferring pursuant to this Act to take more than 60 additional semester units beyond the lower-division major requirements for majors requiring 120 semester units, as long as you stay in the same program. Get the university to confirm in writing which of your courses count as lower-division major requirements.

What Do Jobs With a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Pay in Illinois?

Jobs open to a general studies bachelor's degree in Illinois pay the state medians below, from the May 2025 federal wage survey, with the national median beside each for comparison. Each row links to the salary guide for that job.

How to Choose a General Studies Bachelor's Degree Program in Illinois

To choose a general studies bachelor's degree program in Illinois, decide first whether you're paying public or private tuition, because the two groups barely overlap on price or completion. The public three cost residents $12,383 to $14,121, and only Illinois State, at 65%, graduates more than a quarter of its students, with Northeastern Illinois at 22% and Chicago State at 15%. The private nine cost $28,220 to $44,174 and graduate 45% to 76%, with DePaul at 68% and Aurora at 60% among the ranked programs and Bradley at 76% on two degrees a year. If you're finishing after a community college associate, the STAR Act's 60-credit cap protects you at the public three only.

Olivet Nazarene is the one program with a fully online option, at $37,940 with a 61% graduation rate, so a working adult who can't reach a campus is choosing between it and the online programs on the national bachelor's ranking. Put three questions to any college: whether it accepts the IAI general education package in full, how many of your transfer credits will land as major credit rather than electives, and what MAP pays against its tuition and mandatory fees.

If you're starting with an associate degree, the general studies associate degrees in Illinois have their own page.