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Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois

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2023 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois

27 Schools Ranked
$25,427 Avg Student Debt

When it comes to higher education, there are a lot of options for students. You're no longer limited to schools in your local area, either, since online programs are becoming more prevalent. Also there are many trade schools and bpptcamp that offer short-term programs that open up more career options.

The Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking is one of many tools that Grad Degree Search has developed to help you make your educational decision. Our analysis looked at 27 schools in Illinois to see which graduate certificate programs offered the best educational experiences for students.

View our full ranking methodology.

Top Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois

Learn more about these excellent schools below:

#1

Northwestern University

Evanston, Illinois
$56,567 Average Tuition & Fees
$21,679 Avg Student Debt

Our 2023 rankings named Northwestern University the best school in Illinois for students working on their graduate certificate.

On average, graduate certificate students take out $21,679 in loans while pursuing their degree.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at Northwestern. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 2% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Northwestern University Report

#2

University of Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
$63,936 Average Tuition & Fees

A rank of #2 on this year’s list means University of Chicago is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate.

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#3

University of St Francis

Joliet, Illinois
$13,839 Average Tuition & Fees

Out of the 27 schools in Illinois that were part of this year’s ranking, University of St Francis landed the # 3 spot on the list.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since University of Saint Francis does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. In fact, around 89% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full University of St Francis Report

#4

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, Illinois

A rank of #4 on this year’s list means Olivet Nazarene University is a great place for students working on their graduate certificate.

Online graduate courses are available at Olivet Nazarene, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In fact, around 97% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read full report on Olivet Nazarene University

$17,277 Average Tuition & Fees

You’ll be in good company if you decide to attend University of Illinois at Chicago. It ranked #5 on our 2023 Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list.

UIC does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 95% took at least some of their classes online.

Read full report on University of Illinois at Chicago

#6

Bradley University

Peoria, Illinois
$17,400 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #6, Bradley University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at Bradley. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 95% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#7

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, Illinois
$32,800 Average Tuition & Fees

Elmhurst University came in at #7 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking.

Elmhurst does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 64% took at least some of their classes online.

Full Elmhurst University Report

#8

Lewis University

Romeoville, Illinois
$14,960 Average Tuition & Fees

Lewis University came in at #8 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking.

One thing to take note of is that Lewis does offer online graduate classes in some areas. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 85% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#9

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, Illinois
$19,894 Average Tuition & Fees

Loyola University Chicago landed the #9 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

Loyola Chicago does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 92% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#10

National Louis University

Chicago, Illinois
$12,096 Average Tuition & Fees

National Louis University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #10 on the list.

NLU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 59% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Read full report on National Louis University

#11

Illinois State University

Normal, Illinois
$9,773 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #11, Illinois State University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

Illinois State does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. During the 2019-2020 year, about 81% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read full report on Illinois State University

#12

Concordia University, Chicago

River Forest, Illinois
$9,378 Average Tuition & Fees

Concordia University, Chicago did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #12 on the list.

Concordia University, Chicago does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 98% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#13

Dominican University

River Forest, Illinois
$20,413 Average Tuition & Fees
$34,913 Avg Student Debt

Dominican University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #13 on the list.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $34,913 in student loans.

Online graduate courses are available at Dominican U, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. In 2019-2020 about 89% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Dominican University

#14

University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield, Illinois
$11,111 Average Tuition & Fees
$22,872 Avg Student Debt

With a ranking of #14, University of Illinois at Springfield did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

Graduate Certificate recipients from UIS accumulate an average of $22,872 in student debt by the time they complete their degree.

You may have the opportunity to take online graduate classes at UIS. In fact, around 96% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Full University of Illinois at Springfield Report

#15

Western Illinois University

Macomb, Illinois
$12,182 Average Tuition & Fees

Western Illinois University landed the #15 spot in the 2023 rankings for the best graduate certificate programs.

WIU does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 71% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

$17,823 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #16, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at UIUC. During the 2019-2020 year, about 90% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Read More…

#17

Benedictine University

Lisle, Illinois
$19,640 Average Tuition & Fees

Benedictine University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #17 on the list.

Benedictine U does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 100% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#18

DeVry University - Illinois

Chicago, Illinois
$17,552 Average Tuition & Fees

DeVry University - Illinois came in at #18 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking.

DeVry University - Illinois does offer online graduate classes for certain degree levels. In 2019-2020 about 97% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read More…

#19

McKendree University

Lebanon, Illinois

McKendree University ranked #19 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list.

If you are interested in distance education, be sure to check with the school since McKendree does offer online graduate classes for certain majors. During the 2019-2020 year, about 68% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full McKendree University Report

#20

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, Illinois
$11,390 Average Tuition & Fees

Northern Illinois University did quite well in this year’s ranking of the best places for students to get a graduate certificate. It came in at #20 on the list.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at NIU. In 2019-2020 about 43% of the graduate students at the school chose to take one or more online courses.

Read full report on Northern Illinois University

#21

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, Illinois
$9,316 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville came in at #21 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking.

Depending on your major, you may be able to take online graduate classes at SIUE. Of all the graduate students enrolled at the school during the 2019-2020 academic year, around 86% took at least some of their classes online.

Read More…

#22

Eastern Illinois University

Charleston, Illinois
$10,640 Average Tuition & Fees

With a ranking of #22, Eastern Illinois University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

EIU does have options available for those who want to take online graduate classes. You will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your specific major. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 75% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Eastern Illinois University Report

#23

Governors State University

University Park, Illinois
$8,320 Average Tuition & Fees

Governors State University came in at #23 in this year’s edition of the Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois ranking.

Some students may be able to take online graduate classes at GSU. In fact, around 35% of the graduate population registered for at least one online class in 2019-2020.

Read More…

#24

Roosevelt University

Chicago, Illinois
$21,605 Average Tuition & Fees
$26,458 Avg Student Debt

With a ranking of #24, Roosevelt University did quite well on this year’s best schools for students working on their graduate certificate.

By the time they get their graduate certificate, students from this school have racked up an average of $26,458 in student loans.

Online graduate courses are available at Roosevelt, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. During the 2019-2020 year, about 44% of the graduate students at the school took at least one online course.

Full Roosevelt University Report

$16,162 Average Tuition & Fees

Southern Illinois University Carbondale ranked #25 on this year’s Best Graduate Certificate Schools in Illinois list.

Online graduate courses are available at SIUC, but you will need to check with the school to see if they are available for your field of interest. To give an idea of how popular online courses are at the school, 24% of graduates took at least one course online in 2019-2020.

Full Southern Illinois University Carbondale Report

Best Graduate Certificate Schools in the Great Lakes Region

View Best Graduate Certificate Schools Nationwide >

Notes and References

Footnotes

*These averages are for the top 25 schools only.

References

  • Read more about our ranking methodology.
  • The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE) serves as the core of our data about colleges.
  • Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
  • Information about the national average student loan default rate is from the U.S. Department of Education and refers to data about the 2016 borrower cohort tracking period for which the cohort default rate (CDR) was 10.1%.

More about our data sources and methodologies.

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