Best Business Administration, Management and Operations Schools in Illinois

Illinois has 41 colleges offering Business Administration, Management and Operations programs tracked by the College Scorecard, producing 7,129 recent graduates. Graduates earn $43,849 on average within two years, roughly in line with the national average of $42,534.

School choice matters significantly: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn $63,402 while Blackburn College graduates earn $33,138 — a $30,264 gap. Research each program's curriculum, employer connections, and career services before deciding.

Schools in IL

$43,849

IL Avg. Earnings

$42,534

National Avg.

1309

Schools Nationally

Public vs Private: Business Administration, Management and Operations in Illinois

Public Schools (11)

$46,331

avg. 2yr earnings

Private Schools (28)

$42,545

avg. 2yr earnings

Public schools in Illinois produce comparable or higher early earnings for Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates, often at lower cost — making them strong value options.

Business Administration, Management and Operations Schools in Illinois, Ranked by Earnings

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL · Public

$63,402

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $64,736

Graduates: 133

Acceptance: 43.7%

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private

$51,169

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $52,064

Graduates: 107

Acceptance: 81.4%

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL · Private

$47,148

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $47,529

Graduates: 143

Acceptance: 67.7%

Southern Illinois University-Carbondale

Carbondale, IL · Public

$47,846

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $42,679

Graduates: 33

Acceptance: 90.4%

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL · Private

$45,383

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $49,672

Graduates: 101

Acceptance: 75.7%

DePaul University

Chicago, IL · Private

$44,468

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $40,729

Graduates: 96

Acceptance: 73.5%

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL · Public

$51,511

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $48,290

Graduates: 187

Acceptance: 70.5%

Bradley University

Peoria, IL · Private

$39,801

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $47,182

Graduates: 70

Acceptance: 76.7%

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL · Private

$46,478

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $44,195

Graduates: 37

Acceptance: 72.7%

#10

St. Augustine College

Chicago, IL ·

$46,478

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $44,195

Graduates: 37

Acceptance: N/A

#11

Millikin University

Decatur, IL · Private

$41,193

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $43,249

Graduates: 70

Acceptance: 54.0%

#12

Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington, IL · Private

$50,356

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $45,302

Graduates: 76

Acceptance: 45.2%

#13

Western Illinois University

Macomb, IL · Public

$41,984

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $46,347

Graduates: 153

Acceptance: 75.0%

#14

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL · Public

$47,260

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $38,519

Graduates: 90

Acceptance: 70.4%

#15

DeVry University-Illinois

Lisle, IL · For-Profit

$46,521

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $47,138

Graduates: 3,457

Acceptance: 43.3%

#16

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL · Public

Dominican University

River Forest, IL · Private

$41,007

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $43,788

Graduates: 100

Acceptance: 79.8%

#18

Illinois State University

Normal, IL · Public

$44,711

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $41,050

Graduates: 124

Acceptance: 89.0%

#19

North Central College

Naperville, IL · Private

$43,240

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $44,923

Graduates: 77

Acceptance: 58.3%

#20

Monmouth College

Monmouth, IL · Private

$36,560

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $41,471

Graduates: 95

Acceptance: 86.6%

#21

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL · Private

$45,852

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $43,279

Graduates: 85

Acceptance: 77.2%

#22

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Edwardsville, IL · Public

$38,103

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $39,899

Graduates: 327

Acceptance: 97.2%

#23

Aurora University

Aurora, IL · Private

$42,185

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $43,547

Graduates: 126

Acceptance: 85.1%

#24

Rockford University

Rockford, IL · Private

$43,798

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $42,730

Graduates: 37

Acceptance: 57.2%

#25

Judson University

Elgin, IL · Private

$52,733

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $47,188

Graduates: 84

Acceptance: 63.1%

#26

North Park University

Chicago, IL · Private

$45,584

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $43,981

Graduates: 104

Acceptance: 72.8%

#27

University of Illinois Springfield

Springfield, IL · Public

$40,209

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $41,513

Graduates: 138

Acceptance: 84.4%

#28

Lincoln Christian University

Lincoln, IL · Private

McKendree University

Lebanon, IL · Private

$41,844

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $44,436

Graduates: 60

Acceptance: 63.9%

#30

Governors State University

University Park, IL · Public

$40,855

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $41,071

Graduates: 105

Acceptance: N/A

#31

Greenville University

Greenville, IL · Private

Roosevelt University

Chicago, IL · Private

$54,531

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $37,900

Graduates: 361

Acceptance: 94.3%

#33

Eureka College

Eureka, IL · Private

$35,274

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $33,688

Graduates: 44

Acceptance: 88.5%

#34

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL · Private

$39,784

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $40,707

Graduates: 106

Acceptance: 66.9%

#35

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL · Private

$42,774

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $46,407

Graduates: 19

Acceptance: 55.4%

#36

Illinois College

Jacksonville, IL · Private

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL · Private

$36,124

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $34,500

Graduates: 177

Acceptance: 91.2%

#38

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL · Private

$36,848

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $37,339

Graduates: 24

Acceptance: 93.4%

#39

Chicago State University

Chicago, IL · Public

$36,437

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $35,049

Graduates: 107

Acceptance: 40.5%

#40

East-West University

Chicago, IL · Private

$26,353

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $25,046

Graduates: 19

Acceptance: N/A

#41

Blackburn College

Carlinville, IL · Private

$33,138

2yr Earnings

1yr Earnings: $26,105

Graduates: 20

Acceptance: 80.1%

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the best school for Business Administration, Management and Operations in Illinois?

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks #1 for Business Administration, Management and Operations in Illinois with median graduate earnings of $63,402 within two years of graduation. There are 41 schools offering Business Administration, Management and Operations programs in the state.

How much do Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates earn in Illinois?

Business Administration, Management and Operations graduates in Illinois earn an average of $43,849 within two years of graduation. This is 3% above the national average of $42,534 for this major.

What is the hardest Business Administration, Management and Operations school to get into in Illinois?

Chicago State University is the most selective Business Administration, Management and Operations program in Illinois with an acceptance rate of 40.5%. The average acceptance rate across Business Administration, Management and Operations programs in the state is 73.3%.

Should I attend a public or private school for Business Administration, Management and Operations in Illinois?

In Illinois, private Business Administration, Management and Operations programs produce average earnings of $42,545 vs $46,331 at public schools. However, public schools typically cost less — consider net price relative to earnings when calculating ROI. There are 11 public and 28 private options in the state.

Other Popular Majors in Illinois

Chemical Engineering $69,173 Computer Science $66,656 Computer Engineering $65,978 Biomedical/Medical Engineering $64,764 Civil Engineering $61,502 Construction Management $60,021 Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering $58,932 Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services, Other $57,318

All colleges in Illinois →

Business Administration, Management and Operations in Other States

Pennsylvania New York Texas California Florida Ohio North Carolina Georgia Massachusetts Virginia Tennessee Michigan View All →

Get Business Administration, Management and Operations Career Insights

We're building major-specific salary reports with ROI analysis by school. Be the first to get yours.

No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, field-of-study file last updated June 2026. Institution-level figures elsewhere on the site come from the June 2026 release.