Best Online Master’s Programs in Illinois 2024

Badge for BEST ONLINE MASTER'S IN ILLINOIS

By Chloe Dembski
Reviewed By Dr. Jed Macosko

Published: May 11, 2022
Updated: Nov 22, 2023

Find the best online colleges in Illinois ranked by the academic success of faculty and alumni associated with the colleges and universities and their online degree programs. Faculty and alumni with influential ideas are the foundation of respectable online degree programs employers can trust.

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in Illinois

Loyola University Chicago
DePaul University
Wheaton College
Rush University
Bradley University
Illinois State University
Roosevelt University
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science
Western Illinois University
Chicago State University

Loyola University Chicago
DePaul University
Wheaton College
Illinois State University
Rush University
Roosevelt University
Bradley University
Moody Bible Institute
Chicago State University
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

Moody Bible Institute 94%
Concordia University Chicago 93%
Benedictine University 93%
National Louis University 92%
Trinity International University 91%
Dominican University 90%
Roosevelt University 88%
Wheaton College 88%
Illinois State University 86%
Saint Xavier University 84%

Illinois State University 19 to 1
Aurora University 18 to 1
McKendree University 17 to 1
DePaul University 17 to 1
Moody Bible Institute 16 to 1
Saint Xavier University 15 to 1
National Louis University 15 to 1
Eastern Illinois University 15 to 1
Lewis University 14 to 1
Olivet Nazarene University 14 to 1

Loyola University Chicago $49,498
North Central College $43,046
DePaul University $42,840
Wheaton College $42,240
Elmhurst University $40,232
Olivet Nazarene University $37,940
Bradley University $37,800
Lewis University $36,530
Dominican University $36,500
University of St. Francis $36,000

Rush University $38,030
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science $33,207
Elmhurst University $33,000
Catholic Theological Union $23,232
Roosevelt University $22,764
DePaul University $21,719
Erikson Institute $19,988
Dominican University $19,900
Loyola University Chicago $19,440
Benedictine University $19,181

University of St. Francis
Concordia University Chicago
Elmhurst University
Trinity International University
Dominican University
North Park University
Erikson Institute
Catholic Theological Union
Olivet Nazarene University
Lewis University

University of St. Francis
Concordia University Chicago
Olivet Nazarene University
Dominican University
Lewis University
Erikson Institute
Saint Xavier University
Governors State University
North Park University
McKendree University

Chicago State University 49%
Governors State University 57%
University of St. Francis 58%
Olivet Nazarene University 58%
North Central College 61%
McKendree University 68%
North Park University 68%
Eastern Illinois University 68%
DePaul University 70%
Lewis University 74%

Rush University 8 to 1
Governors State University 10 to 1
North Park University 10 to 1
Dominican University 11 to 1
Chicago State University 11 to 1
Roosevelt University 11 to 1
Trinity International University 12 to 1
University of Illinois Springfield 12 to 1
North Central College 12 to 1
Bradley University 12 to 1

Governors State University $7,512
Eastern Illinois University $9,417
University of Illinois Springfield $9,758
Illinois State University $10,907
National Louis University $11,580
Chicago State University $12,018
Western Illinois University $14,406
Moody Bible Institute $16,178
Aurora University $27,420
Rush University $30,315

Chicago State University $5,976
Governors State University $6,354
Eastern Illinois University $7,691
Illinois State University $7,694
Western Illinois University $8,609
University of Illinois Springfield $8,858
Moody Bible Institute $8,910
Concordia University Chicago $9,399
McKendree University $9,450
National Louis University $11,646

Table of Contents

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in Illinois

Prospective students searching for colleges in Illinois have plenty of excellent schools to choose from. Illinois offers over 130 higher education institutes throughout the state. Thanks to an expansive public university system and several top private institutions, students can select from an extremely wide array of brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Illinois.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois at Chicago, the state’s two largest public universities in Illinois. Students can access a full spectrum of undergraduate and graduate degrees for in-state tuition rates of $13,000 to $15,000 respectively. Both public universities also offer a full selection of online degree programs.

It’s also worth noting that Illinois residents who pursue online degrees at public colleges in Illinois will qualify for in-state tuition rates. Out of state students will generally pay more whether pursuing on-campus or online degrees.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

More than half of the colleges in Illinois are actually private schools. Among these private colleges and universities, the most notable are DePaul University, Northwestern University, and Loyola University Chicago. Tuition from these three private schools can be costly, ranging from $44,000 to $55,000. However, each of these private schools boasts a high graduation rate and excellent professors.

Illinois is also home to many small private schools, including Benedictine University and National Louis University.

Popular disciplines in Illinois include disciplines like criminal justice, social work, nursing, education, religious studies, communications, and medicine. Both traditional and online students have a wide range of options in each of these subject areas.

Degree completion programs are also widely available for lapsed students who have already accumulated some college credits. This is an especially popular online degree option among working professionals in Illinois.

Additionally, Illinois offers several loan forgiveness-based financial aid programs for qualifying students pursuing careers as teachers, public defenders or prosecutors, or nurses.

From the skyscrapers in Chicago to the vast prairie lands in the north, Illinois is a place where city meets country. Students can grab a Chicago-style hotdog on the way to a Cubs game, explore the ancient sandstone cliffs in the Shawnee National Forest, or admire an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, all while attending one of The Prairie State’s universities or colleges.

The higher education institutes in Illinois have also produced many prominent alumni, including Stephen Colbert, Phillip Glass, and Kurt Vonnegut. Students hoping to walk the same streets as these well-known individuals can check out some of the state’s top programs and universities.

What are Illinois’s Colleges & Universities?

Illinois’s Best Overall

Online master’s degrees offered by respected colleges and universities are generally respected by employers. The main thing to consider about your online master’s choices is whether the school name is well known and respected. In many cases, employers won’t know your degree was earned online. But even if they do, a degree from a respected college is automatically to your benefit.

We rank the colleges and universities in this list by the influence of their alumni and faculty. For master’s degree students, including online master’s degree students, having faculty who are influential in your field matters a lot. It’s a big indicator that you have the chance to get a quality education. And, knowing that you will join an alumni association with some impressive people is nice, too.

Frequently Asked Questions About Online Master’s Degrees

An online master’s degree costs about $40,000 for the average grad student. However, the cost of your online master’s degree will depend on the type of grad school you attend. In 2018-2019, the average cost for a year of tuition in a public grad school was $12,171. The average cost for a year of tuition in private, non-profit grad school was $27,776. An online master’s degree will usually cost about the same as a traditional master’s degree. Some schools will charge 5-10% more for online courses. This added cost pays for the technology and specialized training needed for online instruction. But getting a master’s degree online can also help you save money. The costs above don’t include expenses like housing, transportation, or certain campus fees. As an online grad student, you can save a lot of money by avoiding these added expenses. Many online master’s degree programs are also accelerated. Most master’s degree programs are designed to be completed in two years. But you may be able to earn your online master’s degree in as little as 12-18 months. Earning an accelerated online master’s degree can save you money on tuition.

If this is your first time taking an online course, the experience may require some adjustment. While you’ll generally learn the same content and take the same exams as your on-campus peers, the medium will likely require you to manage much of this experience independently. You’ll be accountable for your own time management, your ability to harness the technology at your fingertips, and your ability to focus on the lectures, lessons, and assignments at hand. This means you’ll need to create a suitable workspace for yourself, maintain a realistic schedule, and take it upon yourself to build relationships with your instructors and classmates. With online college, your goal is to find a balance between independence and engagement.

In most cases, as long you graduate from a well-regarded, regionally-accredited online college, prospective employers won’t look sideways at your degree. In fact, unless you attend an exclusively online college or university, there will likely be no specific indicator on your degree, transcript or resume differentiating your school from its brick-and-mortar counterpart. This means that your employer will likely only differentiate between an online and in-person degree if you mention this distinction.

While some employers may express concern about making the adjustment from online education to in-person workplace collaboration, many other employers will view your online degree as evidence of valuable 21st Century professional skills such as independence, self-motivation, time management, and tech savvy.

The advantages of online classes are many. First and foremost, online courses give you the freedom and flexibility to attend class from anywhere that works for you, whether you’re at home, in a coffee shop, or in a quiet conference room at work. In many cases, you’ll also enjoy the convenience of asynchronous learning opportunities-educational experiences that you can complete on your own schedule. This may include pre-taped lectures, ongoing chat-board discussions, and 24/7 access to digital materials. And of course, just as there are some learners who prefer the energy of a live classroom, there are those who learn best when working in their own personal space, free from distractions. If this sounds like you, you might find the solitude of online learning to be a major advantage.

If you are a student who thrives on the dynamic energy of in-person discussion, who requires the physical surroundings of a classroom to feel engaged, or who considers the social aspects of education to be of equal importance to the actual content of your courses, online education will require some adjustment.

While there is much that can be supplanted or simulated through the online medium, some students may find that there is nothing which can replace the conversation, collaboration, and motivation that occur in an actual classroom setting. As you make the adjustment to online education, one of the biggest challenges you will likely face is overcoming this difference in order to the get the most out of your classes. Fortunately, we’ve got some great Tips for Online Education Beginners.

How do we determine Illinois's best online master's degree programs?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Best Online Master’s Program in Illinois 2023

Illinois’s Best Grad Programs in Your Area Interest

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Best Online Master’s Programs in Illinois 2024

Top 10 Online Master's Programs in Illinois

Featured Programs

Colleges and Universities in Illinois

What are Illinois’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Online Master’s Program in Illinois 2023

Career Outlook for degree at Loyola University Chicago

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at DePaul University

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Career Outlook for degree at Wheaton College

Online Master’s Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Rush University

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Career Outlook for degree at Bradley University

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Career Outlook for degree at Illinois State University

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Career Outlook for degree at Roosevelt University

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Career Outlook for degree at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

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Career Outlook for degree at Western Illinois University

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Career Outlook for degree at Chicago State University

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Career Outlook for degree at University of Illinois Springfield

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Career Outlook for degree at Eastern Illinois University

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Career Outlook for degree at Benedictine University

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Career Outlook for degree at North Central College

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Career Outlook for degree at McKendree University

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Career Outlook for degree at Governors State University

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Career Outlook for degree at Saint Xavier University

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Career Outlook for degree at Aurora University

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Career Outlook for degree at National Louis University

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Career Outlook for degree at Lewis University

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Career Outlook for degree at Olivet Nazarene University

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Career Outlook for degree at North Park University

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Career Outlook for degree at Dominican University