Liberal Arts and General Studies colleges in Illinois, ranked by graduates
13 colleges in Illinois awarded at least 10 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies in 2023: 716 degrees, 3.4% of all bachelor's degrees at those colleges (1.9% across every college CollegeCalcAI tracks). Western Illinois University graduated the most (135, 12.1% of its class). 9 of the 13 are public universities. The median acceptance rate among them is 76%; the most selective is University of Chicago at 4%.
Liberal Arts and General Studies colleges in Illinois
Every Illinois college awarding at least 10 bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies, ranked by 2023 graduates. Click a college for its liberal arts and general studies page.
| # | College | Type | Degrees (2023) | Share of grads | Acceptance rate | SAT 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Western Illinois University | Public | 135 | 12.1% | 71% | 1060 |
| 2 | Illinois State University | Public | 121 | 2.7% | 88% | 1220 |
| 3 | Northern Illinois University | Public | 93 | 3.8% | 70% | 1180 |
| 4 | Eastern Illinois University | Public | 88 | 8% | 65% | 1080 |
| 5 | Governors State University | Public | 79 | 14% | 48% | 1100 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University | Public | 66 | 3.7% | 87% | 1150 |
| 7 | DePaul University | Private | 26 | 0.9% | 76% | 1280 |
| 8 | Chicago State University | Public | 23 | 11.3% | 43% | 980 |
| 9 | Aurora University | Private | 22 | 1.8% | 81% | 1230 |
| 10 | Saint Xavier University | Private | 21 | 3.1% | 84% | 1120 |
| 11 | University of Chicago | Private | 16 | 0.8% | 4% | 1570 |
| 12 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Public | 13 | 0.7% | 98% | 1180 |
| 13 | Illinois Springfield | Public | 13 | 2.2% | 86% | 1120 |
Questions about liberal arts and general studies colleges in Illinois
What is the best college for liberal arts and general studies in Illinois?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023, the largest liberal arts and general studies programs in Illinois are Western Illinois University (135), Illinois State University (121), Northern Illinois University (93). "Best" depends on your profile: this page ranks every Illinois college in the field by output and shows each one's acceptance rate and admitted SAT so you can match it to your own numbers.
How many colleges in Illinois offer liberal arts and general studies?
13 four-year colleges in Illinois awarded 10 or more bachelor's degrees in liberal arts and general studies in 2023, 9 public and 4 private, for 716 graduates in total.
Is in-state status an advantage for liberal arts and general studies in Illinois?
At the 9 public universities on this list, Illinois residents are usually admitted at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants and pay in-state tuition. CollegeCalcAI applies the residency effect when you set your home state, and the per-major adjustment when you set the major.
Liberal Arts and General Studies elsewhere
The same field in other states, and the national ranking.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 Completions (bachelor's degrees, first majors, CIP 2-digit series), joined to CollegeCalcAI's admissions dataset. Built 2026-09-19. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are not predictions or guarantees.