Best Economics Schools Near Champaign, IL (2026)

Champaign, Illinois has 14 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $9,992 to $58,649 per year for indexed programs. Champaign has a population of about 88,822. Median household income is $57,544 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 53.6% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning economics-related role is Statistician at a median $119,760 annually (BLS, May 2025).


Closest Economics Schools to Champaign

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

No school data available.

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


Economics Wages Near Champaign

Champaign is part of the Champaign-Urbana, IL metro area (BLS area code 16580). Where MSA-level wages are published, the table below shows MSA medians; otherwise it falls back to Illinois statewide.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
EconomistN/AIL statewide
Financial and Investment Analyst$84,330Champaign-Urbana, IL$90,971
Statistician$119,760IL statewide$129,191
Management Analyst$98,050Champaign-Urbana, IL$105,771

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.


Champaign at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population88,822Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$57,544Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+53.6%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)92.7 (below U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Champaign-Area Cities With Economics Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near Champaign, IL?

Our directory has 14 accredited schools offering economics programs near Champaign. The closest is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, IL (2.4 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Illinois Springfield (76.0 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near Champaign?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Champaign are: Statistician ($119,760), Management Analyst ($98,050), Financial and Investment Analyst ($84,330). 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 Urbana instead of Champaign?

Urbana, IL is 4.0 miles from Champaign and has its own set of local economics programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Champaign an affordable place to study economics?

Champaign’s median household income of $57,544 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Champaign 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 Economics Programs

Other Programs Available in Champaign

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

Data verified: August 11, 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.