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Liberal Arts & Humanities Schools in Illinois

42 schools compared · Average earnings $27,421/yr

42 Illinois schools offer Liberal Arts & Humanities. Earnings in Illinois are in line with the national average, so compare programs on commute, tuition, and fit rather than on statewide outcomes alone.

Schools in IL
42
Avg Grad Earnings
$27,421/yr
-1% vs. national avg
Avg Score
45/100
Top IL Cities
3
with programs

Liberal Arts & Humanities Training in Illinois: What You Need to Know

Local program supply

Illinois has 42 schools offering Liberal Arts & Humanities programs, concentrated in 3 cities including {'city': 'Chicago', 'city_slug': 'chicago', 'count': 8, 'avg_earn': 29229.0}, {'city': 'Springfield', 'city_slug': 'springfield', 'count': 1, 'avg_earn': 34164.0}, {'city': 'Normal', 'city_slug': 'normal', 'count': 1, 'avg_earn': 31250.0}. Most students attend within 60 miles of home — local choice matters more than national rankings.

Earnings vs. national

Liberal Arts & Humanities graduates in Illinois earn approximately $27,421/year on average, which is -1% below the national average for this trade. Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard.

Illinois-specific licensing

Most skilled trades require a state-issued license or certification before you can work independently. Requirements vary substantially by state. Verify Illinois-specific licensing through the relevant state board (Department of Labor, Contractors Board, or trade-specific licensing body). Apprenticeship hours often count toward licensure.

How Illinois compares

Average TradeSchoolOutlook Score for Liberal Arts & Humanities programs in Illinois is 45/100. Cost of living, wage levels, and program supply all vary by state — see the school list below ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score, which combines earnings, debt, and job-market demand.

Liberal Arts & Humanities Programs in Illinois

All 42 Illinois schools offering Liberal Arts & Humanities, ranked by TradeSchoolOutlook Score. Click a school to see full earnings projections and program details.

# School Score Earnings ROI
1 City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College
Chicago, IL		 59 $36,908/yr 83.3x
2 Prairie State College
Chicago Heights, IL		 51 $34,909/yr 49.4x
3 Lincoln Land Community College
Springfield, IL		 55 $34,164/yr 67.8x
4 College of Lake County
Grayslake, IL		 52 $33,413/yr 52.7x
5 City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College
Chicago, IL		 51 $31,322/yr 65.1x
6 Morton College
Cicero, IL		 47 $31,829/yr 41.2x
7 City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
Chicago, IL		 48 $29,168/yr 49.1x
8 College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL		 48 $28,678/yr 64.2x
9 City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College
Chicago, IL		 46 $32,568/yr 36.2x
10 Kaskaskia College
Centralia, IL		 46 $30,605/yr 40.1x
11 Highland Community College
Freeport, IL		 46 $30,269/yr 42.3x
12 Illinois Central College
East Peoria, IL		 47 $29,845/yr 44.7x
13 William Rainey Harper College
Palatine, IL		 48 $27,619/yr 60.0x
14 Waubonsee Community College
Sugar Grove, IL		 48 $27,597/yr 56.1x
15 Joliet Junior College
Joliet, IL		 46 $27,296/yr 50.7x
16 City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College
Chicago, IL		 48 $27,284/yr 61.3x
17 Heartland Community College
Normal, IL		 46 $31,250/yr 37.6x
18 Black Hawk College
Moline, IL		 45 $30,390/yr 37.5x
19 Rock Valley College
Rockford, IL		 46 $27,601/yr 47.2x
20 Triton College
River Grove, IL		 45 $27,342/yr 42.8x
21 Parkland College
Champaign, IL		 44 $26,912/yr 43.7x
22 Southwestern Illinois College
Belleville, IL		 45 $25,513/yr 50.6x
23 Elgin Community College
Elgin, IL		 48 $25,377/yr 76.0x
24 Oakton College
Des Plaines, IL		 44 $24,918/yr 57.2x
25 South Suburban College
South Holland, IL		 44 $28,465/yr 37.2x
26 Richland Community College
Decatur, IL		 43 $26,712/yr 40.9x
27 Lewis and Clark Community College
Godfrey, IL		 46 $23,662/yr 65.6x
28 Moraine Valley Community College
Palos Hills, IL		 43 $23,372/yr 54.4x
29 Danville Area Community College
Danville, IL		 43 $28,045/yr 35.9x
30 Rend Lake College
Ina, IL		 43 $25,219/yr 42.1x
31 Illinois Valley Community College
Oglesby, IL		 41 $22,700/yr 48.6x
32 Carl Sandburg College
Galesburg, IL		 41 $27,529/yr 32.9x
33 Lake Land College
Mattoon, IL		 42 $24,754/yr 40.4x
34 City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College
Chicago, IL		 38 $19,982/yr 55.6x
35 McHenry County College
Crystal Lake, IL		 38 $19,740/yr 54.6x
36 Kishwaukee College
Malta, IL		 37 $21,090/yr 45.1x
37 City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College
Chicago, IL		 39 $26,232/yr 28.9x
38 Olney Central College
Olney, IL		 39 $21,307/yr 40.4x
39 John A Logan College
Carterville, IL		 38 $23,892/yr 30.4x
40 Shawnee Community College
Ullin, IL		 38 $23,403/yr 32.6x
41 St. Augustine College
Chicago, IL		 37 $28,804/yr 12.7x
42 John Wood Community College
Quincy, IL		 38 $24,030/yr 28.4x

Where Liberal Arts & Humanities Programs Cluster in Illinois

Cities with the most Liberal Arts & Humanities programs — useful if you want to minimize commute or relocate within state.

City Schools Avg Earnings
Chicago, IL 8 $29,229/yr
Springfield, IL 1 $34,164/yr
Normal, IL 1 $31,250/yr

Compare Liberal Arts & Humanities in Other States

Considering a nearby state? Here's how Illinois compares to others with strong Liberal Arts & Humanities offerings.

North Carolina (49) Texas (48) New York (46) Ohio (43) California (32) Florida (32) Michigan (27) Washington (25) Minnesota (23) Alabama (22) Virginia (21) New Jersey (21)
← See Liberal Arts & Humanities programs across all states
Data from College Scorecard, Bureau of Labor Statistics 2024–2034, and DOL RAPIDS. Methodology & sources →