Best Economics Schools Near Crystal Lake, IL (2026)

Crystal Lake, Illinois has 34 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $12,383 to $68,322 per year for indexed programs. Crystal Lake has a population of about 40,436. Median household income is $105,428 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 42.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning economics-related role is Statistician at a median $122,180 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Economics Schools to Crystal Lake

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer economics programs near Crystal Lake, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake

Crystal Lake 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.

OccupationMedian WageSourceCOL-Adjusted (US=100)
EconomistN/AIL statewide
Financial and Investment Analyst$101,750Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$98,214
Statistician$122,180Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$117,934
Management Analyst$105,090Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$101,438

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.


Crystal Lake at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population40,436Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$105,428Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+42.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

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Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near Crystal Lake, IL?

Our directory has 34 accredited schools offering economics programs near Crystal Lake. The closest is Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL (26.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Northeastern Illinois University (36.1 miles). 7 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near Crystal Lake?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Crystal Lake are: Statistician ($122,180), Management Analyst ($105,090), Financial and Investment Analyst ($101,750). 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 Lake in the Hills instead of Crystal Lake?

Lake in the Hills, IL is 3.0 miles from Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake an affordable place to study economics?

Crystal Lake’s median household income of $105,428 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Crystal Lake 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 Crystal Lake

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

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.