Best Accredited Online Colleges in Illinois
Universities and colleges in Illinois are committed to transforming online education. In 2022, more than half of Illinois college students enrolled in online classes, with 23.5% in fully online programs, according to the National Center for Education Statistics.
When it comes to online colleges in Illinois, it’s critically important to choose an accredited institution. Our ranking covers the state’s top online colleges.
Featured Online Programs
Learn about start dates, transferring credits, availability of financial aid, and more by contacting the universities below.
What Colleges Are Accredited in Illinois?
Learners choosing from Illinois’s online colleges and schools should ensure that each prospective institution holds accreditation. The Higher Learning Commission primarily accredits Illinois schools. Institutional accreditation demonstrates that the entire school meets specific academic and professional standards, ensuring employers and graduate schools will recognize your degree as legitimate.
Institutional Accreditation
The institutional accreditation process involves a third-party organization providing thorough review of a school’s faculty, curriculum, and student outcomes. Attending an accredited school is key to receive federal financial aid, transfer credits, and qualify for certain certifications.
Subject-Specific Accreditation
Many industries feature specialized accrediting agencies, which evaluate programs and departments. For example, business programs may receive accreditation from the Association to Advance Collegiate Schools of Business, while teaching programs often hold accreditation from the Council for the Accreditation of Educator Preparation. Some roles may require candidates to have earned degrees from accredited programs.
Accredited Online Colleges in Illinois
Moody Bible Institute
- Chicago, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$11,200
- Out-of-state$11,200
- In-State$8,010
- Out-of-state$8,010
- Retention Rate81%
- Acceptance Rate94%
- Students Enrolled3,009
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment42%
- AccreditationYes
University of Illinois at Springfield
- Springfield, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$9,520
- Out-of-state$15,948
- In-State$8,270
- Out-of-state$15,240
- Retention Rate79%
- Acceptance Rate77%
- Students Enrolled4,275
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment70%
- AccreditationYes
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign
- Champaign, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$14,188
- Out-of-state$33,127
- In-State$14,997
- Out-of-state$28,404
- Retention Rate93%
- Acceptance Rate59%
- Students Enrolled51,605
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment39%
- AccreditationYes
Elmhurst College
- Elmhurst, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$37,454
- Out-of-state$37,454
- In-State$31,667
- Out-of-state$31,667
- Retention Rate82%
- Acceptance Rate68%
- Students Enrolled3,453
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment20%
- AccreditationYes
Aurora University
- Aurora, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$24,800
- Out-of-state$24,800
- In-State$12,600
- Out-of-state$12,600
- Retention Rate73%
- Acceptance Rate87%
- Students Enrolled6,246
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment20%
- AccreditationYes
University of St. Francis
- Joliet, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$34,000
- Out-of-state$34,000
- In-State$13,464
- Out-of-state$13,464
- Retention Rate81%
- Acceptance Rate46%
- Students Enrolled3,776
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment63%
- AccreditationYes
DePaul University
- Chicago, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$40,551
- Out-of-state$40,551
- In-State$19,584
- Out-of-state$19,584
- Retention Rate85%
- Acceptance Rate68%
- Students Enrolled22,064
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment30%
- AccreditationYes
Lewis University
- Romeoville, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$33,270
- Out-of-state$33,270
- In-State$14,400
- Out-of-state$14,400
- Retention Rate84%
- Acceptance Rate64%
- Students Enrolled6,359
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment43%
- AccreditationYes
Western Illinois University
- Macomb, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$8,627
- Out-of-state$8,627
- In-State$7,962
- Out-of-state$7,962
- Retention Rate67%
- Acceptance Rate57%
- Students Enrolled7,624
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment48%
- AccreditationYes
Olivet Nazarene University
- Bourbonnais, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$36,080
- Out-of-state$36,080
- In-State$13,420
- Out-of-state$13,420
- Retention Rate77%
- Acceptance Rate58%
- Students Enrolled4,317
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment58%
- AccreditationYes
Concordia University-Chicago
- River Forest, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$31,926
- Out-of-state$31,926
- In-State$8,910
- Out-of-state$8,910
- Retention Rate62%
- Acceptance Rate75%
- Students Enrolled6,205
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment68%
- AccreditationYes
Eastern Illinois University
- Charleston, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$8,875
- Out-of-state$11,045
- In-State$7,356
- Out-of-state$17,654
- Retention Rate73%
- Acceptance Rate53%
- Students Enrolled7,806
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment34%
- AccreditationYes
Lincoln Christian University
- Lincoln, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$13,590
- Out-of-state$13,590
- In-State$8,154
- Out-of-state$8,154
- Retention Rate77%
- Acceptance RateN/A
- Students Enrolled672
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment43%
- AccreditationYes
Illinois Institute of Technology
- Chicago, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$47,299
- Out-of-state$47,299
- In-State$29,487
- Out-of-state$29,487
- Retention Rate88%
- Acceptance Rate60%
- Students Enrolled6,515
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment16%
- AccreditationYes
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville
- Edwardsville, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$8,345
- Out-of-state$8,345
- In-State$7,034
- Out-of-state$7,034
- Retention Rate79%
- Acceptance Rate86%
- Students Enrolled13,061
- Institution TypePublic
- Percent Online Enrollment25%
- AccreditationYes
Dominican University
- River Forest, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$33,950
- Out-of-state$33,950
- In-State$20,400
- Out-of-state$20,400
- Retention Rate77%
- Acceptance Rate64%
- Students Enrolled3,029
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment54%
- AccreditationYes
Bradley University
- Peoria, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$34,200
- Out-of-state$34,200
- In-State$16,380
- Out-of-state$16,380
- Retention Rate85%
- Acceptance Rate70%
- Students Enrolled5,929
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment31%
- AccreditationYes
Greenville University
- Greenville, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$27,580
- Out-of-state$27,580
- In-State$8,082
- Out-of-state$8,082
- Retention Rate62%
- Acceptance Rate56%
- Students Enrolled1,092
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment50%
- AccreditationYes
Loyola University Chicago
- Chicago, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$44,105
- Out-of-state$44,105
- In-State$18,594
- Out-of-state$18,594
- Retention Rate85%
- Acceptance Rate67%
- Students Enrolled17,159
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment15%
- AccreditationYes
McKendree University
- Lebanon, IL
- 4 year
- Campus + Online
- In-State$30,540
- Out-of-state$30,540
- In-State$9,522
- Out-of-state$9,522
- Retention Rate75%
- Acceptance Rate63%
- Students Enrolled2,292
- Institution TypePrivate
- Percent Online Enrollment47%
- AccreditationYes
How to Know if Your School or Program is Accredited
Most accredited schools and programs feature their accreditation status on their website. Ensure that the school or program holds accreditation from an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education (ED) or the Council for Higher Education Accreditation (CHEA).
Both ED and CHEA feature searchable databases of recognized agencies and accredited schools.
The Impact of Accreditation When Transferring Credits
Accreditation affects transfer credits, saving you time and money on your degree. Many colleges only award transfer credits from regionally accredited institutions. You can maximize the value of your transfer credits by attending an accredited institution — these programs may require you to retake credits completed at schools without accreditation.
Accreditation Criteria for Licensing
In many fields, including healthcare, social work, and engineering, you’ll need to graduate from an accredited program to earn a professional license. Generally, majors that prepare graduates for careers with licensing requirements require programmatic accreditation if you plan to work as a nurse, counselor, teacher, or allied health professional research program accreditation.
Choosing the Right Online College in Illinois
How can you choose the right college to earn your degree online in Illinois? Here are some factors to consider when evaluating online programs.
1. Check Accreditation Status
As a first step, make sure to check the accreditation status of any prospective online college in Illinois. By only applying to accredited schools, you’ll avoid wasting time on unaccredited programs that will keep you from reaching your educational goals.
2. Program Cost
Find a college that matches your budget by researching the total cost of the program. If you live in Illinois, a public college will likely offer the most affordable path to an online degree.
3. Flexibility of Schedule
Online programs use several different formats, including live class sessions and recorded lectures. Consider how much flexibility you need to find a program that fits your schedule.
4. Support Services
Online learners can benefit from support services like academic advising, career counseling, and online tutoring. When comparing programs, check each college’s available support services.
Online College Resources for Illinois Students
As an Illinois college student, you can benefit from scholarship and grant opportunities to maximize your online education.
Illinois Student Assistance Commission
The Illinois Student Assistance Commission provides information on Illinois scholarships and grants for college students, including opportunities for teachers, nurses, and other majors. Use these resources to find scholarship programs for Illinois’ online colleges.Illinois College2Career
Start planning your transition from college to the workforce with the IL College 2 Career tool. Offered by Illinois state departments, the tool connects students with information on graduate career outcomes from Illinois colleges.Illinois Community Colleges Online
Save money on your degree by taking general education requirements through the Illinois Community Colleges Online Consortium. Thanks to affordable community college tuition rates, you can meet degree requirements with transfer credits to make college more affordable.Financial Aid Worksheet
After applying for financial aid, you can compare offers from different online colleges in Illinois to find the most affordable option by using the state’s Financial Aid Worksheet. The site also provides several other tools and resources for Illinois college students.