2027 at a glanceIllinois Degree Completion Programs at a Glance
- The #1 school for degree completion in Illinois in 2027 is Southern Illinois University Carbondale, because 61% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 4 other colleges on this list) and its online rate is $328 per credit for Illinois residents (lower than 8 other colleges on this list).
- #2 is Southern Illinois University Edwardsville: 68% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 7 other colleges on this list).
- #3 is Northern Illinois University: 71% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 8 other colleges on this list).
The ranking
Degree Completion Programs in Illinois, Ranked
#1Carbondale, IllinoisSouthern Illinois University Carbondale
Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #1: 61% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 4 other colleges on this list) and its online rate is $328 per credit for Illinois residents (lower than 8 other colleges on this list).
Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers a Capstone Option for eligible applied associate, engineering associate or equivalent credentials toward its online Bachelor of Science in Health Care Management. The degree totals 120 credit hours, with 49 credits of health care management requirements and HCM 422, a required internship in a university-approved healthcare facility.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 17%
- Transfer Credits
- Up to 90 credits can count toward a 120-hour bachelor's degree, since 30 hours must be earned in residence at SIU Carbondale
- Degree Requirements
- 120 credit hours total.
#2Edwardsville, IllinoisSouthern Illinois University Edwardsville
Bachelor of Science in Integrative Studies, Leadership in Organizations
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #2: 68% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 7 other colleges on this list) and its rate is $309 per credit for Illinois residents (the lowest on this list).
Working adults with an AA or AS, or students close to finishing one, are who Southern Illinois University Edwardsville designed its Leadership in Organizations degree for. Courses are fully online, most run in accelerated terms, and the integrative capstone usually follows a longer term. The focus areas combine sociology and psychology.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 9%
#3Dekalb, IllinoisNorthern Illinois University
BS in Engineering Technology, Applied Manufacturing Technology
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #3: 71% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 8 other colleges on this list) and its rate is $377 per credit for Illinois residents (lower than 6 other colleges on this list).
Northern Illinois University's online Applied Manufacturing Technology degree starts from a technology-oriented AAS and a C or better in trigonometry, though related associate degrees with field experience may get individual consideration. Up to 43 hours of proficiency credit may apply. Courses mix asynchronous work with scheduled evening sessions, running 16 weeks in fall and spring and eight in summer.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 7%
- Transfer Credits
- Up to 90 credits can count toward a 120-hour bachelor's degree, since 30 of the final 60 hours must be earned at NIU
#4River Forest, IllinoisConcordia University Chicago
Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management
OnlineTransfer entry route
Why it ranks #4: 76% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (the highest on this list) and 29% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 8 other colleges on this list).
Concordia University Chicago accepts previous college credits into its online Bachelor of Arts in Sports Management, and the coursework is asynchronous. The business core includes financial accounting, business law, sports marketing and governance, and the degree finishes with a capstone course.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 29%
#5Champaign, IllinoisUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Bachelor of Science in Liberal Arts and Sciences in Environmental Sustainability
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #5: 63% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 5 other colleges on this list) and its graduates earn a median $67,539 a year (the highest on this list).
Transfer applicants to the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's online Environmental Sustainability bachelor's need at least 30 completed college credits and a GPA of 2.7 or higher. The degree is 120 hours, online students register for at least 24 credit hours a year, and all required courses are offered within a two-year rotation.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 1%
- Where You Start
- The online program asks transfer applicants for at least 30 completed college credits and a GPA of 2.7 or higher.
#6Aurora, IllinoisAurora University
Bachelor of Social Work
OnlineTransfer entry route
Why it ranks #6: 65% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 6 other colleges on this list) and its rate is $465 per credit for Illinois residents (lower than 2 other colleges on this list).
Aurora University accepts eligible transfer coursework toward its online Bachelor of Social Work and lists the supporting general education courses required for admission. Online courses use an eight-week format, the degree totals 120 credits, and the program includes hands-on fieldwork.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 13%
- Degree Requirements
- 120 credits total.
#7Charleston, IllinoisEastern Illinois University
BAAS in Applied Engineering
OnlineDegree completion route
Why it ranks #7: Its rate is $335 per credit for Illinois residents (lower than 7 other colleges on this list) and 57% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 3 other colleges on this list).
Eastern Illinois University built its Applied Engineering BAAS for working adults and transfer students building on associate education, industry training or certifications. The degree totals 120 credits with 34 semester hours in the major. Study covers project management, cost analysis, manufacturing, operations and organizational leadership, and it includes industry projects, an internship or field experience.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 9%
- Transfer Credits
- Up to 90 credits can count toward a 120-hour bachelor's degree, since 30 hours must be earned in residence at EIU
#8Springfield, IllinoisUniversity of Illinois Springfield
BA in Psychology
OnlineTransfer entry route
Why it ranks #8: Its online rate is $386 per credit for Illinois residents (lower than 5 other colleges on this list) and 44% of its undergraduates study fully online (the highest on this list).
The University of Illinois Springfield takes up to 90 semester hours overall into its online BA in Psychology, including up to 72 lower-division and 30 upper-division hours. Standard entry is a 2.50 transfer GPA, and eligible upper-division psychology transfer courses must be from the past six years with a C or better. The program estimates $11,580 a year for online in-state tuition.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 44%
- Where You Start
- Meet UIS transfer requirements. Psychology has standard entry at a 2.50 transfer GPA or UIS GPA at 30 hours; a 2.0–2.49 GPA follows departmental conditional-admission requirements.
- Transfer Credits
- Up to 90 semester hours overall, including up to 72 lower-division and 30 upper-division hours; program requirements also apply.
- Degree Requirements
- 120 total credits for the BA, with university residency and psychology major requirements to complete.
- Published Tuition
- The program estimates $11,580 per year for online in-state tuition, based on 120 credits over four years, excluding fees.
- Study Schedule
- The Psychology BA is offered online; apply to the online program when selecting your format.
#9Lebanon, IllinoisMcKendree University
Bachelor of Business Administration in Sport Management
OnlineTransfer entry route
Why it ranks #9: 56% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 2 other colleges on this list) and its online rate is $430 per credit for Illinois residents (lower than 3 other colleges on this list).
Before committing to McKendree University's online BBA in Sport Management, you can submit an unofficial transcript for an initial evaluation. Courses run in eight-week sessions and the program requires a full-semester sport-management internship. Study covers sport business economics, facilities financing, operations and event management.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 23%
#10Chicago, IllinoisMoody Bible Institute
BS in Theological Studies
OnlineTransfer entry route
Why it ranks #10: Its online rate is $425 per credit for Illinois residents (lower than 4 other colleges on this list) and 28% of its undergraduates study fully online (higher than 7 other colleges on this list).
Moody Bible Institute asks transfer applicants to its online BS in Theological Studies for college and high school transcripts and for agreement with the online program's doctrinal and application requirements. You choose a Christian Thought or Spiritual Formation concentration, and the curriculum joins systematic and historical theology with ministry practice.
- Undergraduates Fully Online
- 28%
Build a Plan Around Your Transfer Credits.
List the college credits you already have in the degree planner, then bring that list and your questions to a Illinois school’s transfer advisor. The school’s evaluation decides which credits count toward your degree.
Build your degree plan ↗Going Back to College in Illinois
Begin with the Illinois Articulation Initiative. Its General Education Core Curriculum is a package of 12 to 13 courses that transfers to participating schools, though course-to-course transfer is not guaranteed. Then look at how each school treats your credentials. The University of Illinois Springfield accepts up to 90 semester hours and estimates $11,580 a year for online in-state tuition. Southern Illinois University Carbondale and Northern Illinois University have routes for applied associate degrees, and Edwardsville designs its leadership degree for people with an AA or AS.
Read the official guidance: Illinois Articulation Initiative (IAI)
A statewide transfer agreement shared by more than 100 Illinois colleges and universities, built around a General Education Core Curriculum of 37 to 41 semester credit hours that transfers as a package to participating schools.
Read the official guidance: Every college on every state list is scored the same way, out of 100. The measures, from most to least weight:
- Transfer Student Completion (25%): the share of transfer students who earn a degree within eight years (IPEDS Outcome Measures).
- Cost per Credit (20%): the online per-credit rate the school publishes, at the resident rate for in-state schools, or the federal per-credit charge when no online rate is published.
- Transfer Credit Maximum (15%): the most transfer credit the featured degree accepts, from the school’s own policy.
- Online Experience (15%): the share of undergraduates who study fully online (IPEDS).
- Graduate Earnings (15%): median earnings of the school’s graduates in that field (College Scorecard).
- School Reputation (10%): a rating of how employers regard the school’s bachelor’s degrees, made the same way for every school from its published facts.
When a measure is missing for a college, it gets the middle value for that measure, so missing data never helps a school move up.
Read the full state ranking method ↗ Before you call an admissions officeQuestions About Finishing Your Degree in Illinois
Which School Has the Best Degree Completion Program in Illinois?+
The #1 school for degree completion in Illinois in 2027 is Southern Illinois University Carbondale, because 61% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 4 other colleges on this list) and its online rate is $328 per credit for Illinois residents (lower than 8 other colleges on this list). #2 is Southern Illinois University Edwardsville: 68% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 7 other colleges on this list). #3 is Northern Illinois University: 71% of its transfer students earn a degree within eight years (higher than 8 other colleges on this list). The order comes from transfer student graduation rates, cost per credit, transfer credit limits, online experience, graduate earnings and school reputation, weighted the same way for every state.
What Is the Illinois Articulation Initiative?+
It is a statewide transfer agreement shared among more than 100 participating colleges and universities in Illinois. Its General Education Core Curriculum is a package of 12 to 13 courses, or 37 to 41 semester credit hours, that transfers to satisfy general education requirements at participating schools. Course-to-course transfer is not guaranteed, so check your major requirements too.
Read the official guidance: How Many Credits Can I Transfer to the University of Illinois Springfield?+
Up to 90 semester hours overall, including up to 72 lower-division and 30 upper-division hours, and program requirements also apply. You complete at least 30 semester hours at UIS. For the online Psychology BA, eligible upper-division psychology transfer courses must be from the past six years with a grade of C or better.
Read the official guidance: Can I Use an Applied Associate Degree Toward an Illinois Bachelor's Degree?+
Yes, at several schools. Southern Illinois University Carbondale offers a Capstone Option for eligible applied associate degrees in Health Care Management. Northern Illinois University's Applied Manufacturing Technology degree generally starts from a technology-oriented AAS. Eastern Illinois University designs its Applied Engineering BAAS for transfer students building on associate education, industry training or certifications.
Read the official guidance: 
