Best Data Science Schools Near Wheaton, IL (2026)

Wheaton, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering data science programs, with tuition ranging from $38,750 to $50,822 per year for indexed programs. Wheaton has a population of about 53,453. Median household income is $119,566 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 64.1% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning data science-related role is Database Architects at a median $147,490 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Data Science Schools to Wheaton

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer data science programs near Wheaton, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Wheaton city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

How We Rank Schools

Every school list on this site is ordered by the BOC Score, computed from the most recent school-level data published by the U.S. Department of Education (College Scorecard and IPEDS). To qualify, a school must be currently operating and accredited by an agency recognized by the U.S. Department of Education. Each eligible school is then scored on five measures, percentile-ranked against schools at the same credential level:

  • Graduation rate 30%
  • Median earnings, 10 years after entry 25%
  • Average net price (lower is better) 20%
  • Retention rate 15%
  • Fully online availability 10%

Schools without enough outcome data appear after ranked schools, without a score. On this page, schools are ordered by distance from Wheaton. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

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#1

Lewis University

Romeoville, IL 17.4 miles from Wheaton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • Accredited
73.8 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 65%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,099
Avg net price $17,028/yr
Tuition
In‑state$39,200
Out‑of‑state$39,200
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 81%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 25.3 miles from Wheaton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 25.8 miles from Wheaton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
81.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 97%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $89,363
Avg net price $29,167/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 98%
  • Programs offered: 167

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL 49.9 miles from Wheaton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,213
Avg net price $20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 112.0 miles from Wheaton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 97

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL 121.2 miles from Wheaton
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
90.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,054
Avg net price $14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 177

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Augustana College

Rock Island, IL 128.4 miles from Wheaton
  • 4 year
62.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 78%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $62,971
Avg net price $22,736/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 68

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Knox College

Galesburg, IL 133.3 miles from Wheaton
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
54.5 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 71%
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,820
Avg net price $24,595/yr
Tuition
In‑state$57,903
Out‑of‑state$57,903
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 82%
  • Programs offered: 41

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois data science page.


Data Science Wages Near Wheaton

Wheaton is part of the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area (BLS area code 16980). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

Occupation Median Wage Source COL-Adjusted (US=100)
Data Scientists $107,640 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $103,900
Statisticians $122,180 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $117,934
Operations Research Analysts $86,500 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $83,494
Software Developers $134,380 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $129,710
Actuaries $113,730 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $109,778
Database Architects $147,490 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $142,365
Computer Systems Analysts $103,490 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $99,894
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $80,400 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $77,606

Source: BLS, May 2025 Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics publishes wage data at the metro (MSA) and state level – not by individual city.


Wheaton at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 53,453 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $119,566 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 64.1% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Wheaton-Area Cities With Data Science Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited data science schools are near Wheaton, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering data science programs near Wheaton. The closest is Lewis University in Romeoville, IL (17.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Carthage College (55.0 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying data science roles near Wheaton?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying data science-related roles near Wheaton are: Database Architects ($147,490), Software Developers ($134,380), Statisticians ($122,180). These reflect MSA-level medians where published, with Illinois statewide fallback for occupations not reported at the metro level.

Should I look at programs in Glen Ellyn instead of Wheaton?

Glen Ellyn, IL is 2.4 miles from Wheaton and has its own set of local data science programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Wheaton an affordable place to study data science?

Wheaton’s median household income of $119,566 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Wheaton while attending lower-cost out-of-state schools, and Illinois public universities often offer reduced in-state online tuition.

How do I verify a program is accredited?

Confirm institutional accreditation via the U.S. Department of Education database (U.S. Dept. of Education database), and check for any program-specific accreditation listed by the school.


Learn More About Data Science Programs

Other Programs Available in Wheaton

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Wheaton:

Data verified: September 5, 2026. Salary, employment, and tuition figures on this page are sourced from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS May 2025; Employment Projections 2024–2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.