Four Illinois Colleges Rank Among Nation’s ‘Best For Your Money’

According to a new ranking, four Illinois universities give students the best bang for their buck when they choose a school.

The ranking, compiled by Time Magazine property Money, lists the top 100 schools in terms of which school is the “best college for your money.” A variety of factors are taken into account in the rankings, including estimated earning power and the number of students that receive need-based grants, and four Illinois institutions made the cut.

According to the magazine, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the best school in the state in those categories, checking in at number 22. According to the rankings, 38 percent of U of I students receive need-based grants, and early in their post-college careers students fare well in the job market, making $57,700 early in their working lives.

The University of Chicago finished just outside of the top 50 in the rankings, at number 54. 43 percent of students get need-based grants to attend the school, which can cost an average of $74,000 a year without aid, according to the publication.

Two more Chicago-based schools also cracked the top 100, but just barely. The University of Illinois at Chicago checks in at 96, with an average cost of $31,200 and with 62 percent of students receiving need-based grants. Meanwhile, the Illinois Institute of Technology ranks in a tie for 99^th, with a cost of $65,100 per year.

54 percent of students at the school get need-based grants, and six percent of students get merit-based grants.

Princeton University checks in at number one, with 59 percent of students receiving need-based grants and with graduating students making $67,600 early in their careers.