Social Sciences colleges in Illinois, ranked by graduates
29 colleges in Illinois awarded at least 10 bachelor's degrees in social sciences in 2023: 3,175 degrees, 7.8% of all bachelor's degrees at those colleges (6.8% across every college CollegeCalcAI tracks). University of Chicago graduated the most (724, 37.6% of its class). 10 of the 29 are public universities. The median acceptance rate among them is 72%; the most selective is University of Chicago at 4%.
Social Sciences colleges in Illinois
Every Illinois college awarding at least 10 bachelor's degrees in social sciences, ranked by 2023 graduates. Click a college for its social sciences page.
| # | College | Type | Degrees (2023) | Share of grads | Acceptance rate | SAT 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago | Private | 724 | 37.6% | 4% | 1570 |
| 2 | University of Illinois | Public | 602 | 7% | 42% | 1480 |
| 3 | Northwestern University | Private | 340 | 15.7% | 8% | 1560 |
| 4 | DePaul University | Private | 239 | 7.8% | 76% | 1280 |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago | Private | 216 | 8.6% | 82% | 1330 |
| 6 | Illinois State University | Public | 199 | 4.4% | 88% | 1220 |
| 7 | Northern Illinois University | Public | 123 | 5% | 70% | 1180 |
| 8 | Southern Illinois University | Public | 102 | 5.7% | 87% | 1150 |
| 9 | Wheaton College (IL) | Private | 84 | 16.2% | 87% | 1230 |
| 10 | Lake Forest College | Private | 65 | 15.6% | 57% | 1270 |
| 11 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Public | 50 | 2.5% | 98% | 1180 |
| 12 | Western Illinois University | Public | 46 | 4.1% | 71% | 1060 |
| 13 | Eastern Illinois University | Public | 42 | 3.8% | 65% | 1080 |
| 14 | North Central College | Private | 38 | 6.8% | 77% | 1250 |
| 15 | Augustana College | Private | 30 | 6.5% | 63% | 1280 |
| 16 | Bradley University | Private | 26 | 2.8% | 77% | 1260 |
| 17 | McKendree University | Private | 25 | 7% | 72% | 1150 |
| 18 | Elmhurst University | Private | 24 | 3.2% | 74% | 1230 |
| 19 | Illinois Springfield | Public | 24 | 4% | 86% | 1120 |
| 20 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Private | 24 | 7% | 39% | 1300 |
| 21 | Knox College | Private | 24 | 10.7% | 71% | 1280 |
| 22 | Benedictine University | Private | 19 | 4.6% | 95% | 1230 |
| 23 | Millikin University | Private | 19 | 5.8% | 67% | 1230 |
| 24 | Governors State University | Public | 18 | 3.2% | 48% | 1100 |
| 25 | Olivet Nazarene University | Private | 17 | 3.3% | 56% | 1200 |
| 26 | Aurora University | Private | 16 | 1.3% | 81% | 1230 |
| 27 | Illinois College | Private | 15 | 5.8% | 78% | 1230 |
| 28 | Saint Xavier University | Private | 14 | 2.1% | 84% | 1120 |
| 29 | Chicago State University | Public | 10 | 4.9% | 43% | 980 |
Questions about social sciences colleges in Illinois
What is the best college for social sciences in Illinois?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023, the largest social sciences programs in Illinois are University of Chicago (724), University of Illinois (602), Northwestern University (340). "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 social sciences?
29 four-year colleges in Illinois awarded 10 or more bachelor's degrees in social sciences in 2023, 10 public and 19 private, for 3,175 graduates in total.
Is in-state status an advantage for social sciences in Illinois?
At the 10 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.
Social Sciences 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.