Best Economics Schools Near Elgin, IL (2026)

Elgin, Illinois has 34 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $12,383 to $56,402 per year for indexed programs. Elgin has a population of about 114,106. Median household income is $88,316 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 26.0% 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 Elgin

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

Elgin 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.


Elgin at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population114,106Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$88,316Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+26.0%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Elgin-Area Cities With Economics Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near Elgin, IL?

Our directory has 34 accredited schools offering economics programs near Elgin. The closest is Wheaton College in Wheaton, IL (16.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Lewis University (32.4 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near Elgin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying economics-related roles near Elgin 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 South Elgin instead of Elgin?

South Elgin, IL is 3.4 miles from Elgin 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 Elgin an affordable place to study economics?

Elgin’s median household income of $88,316 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Elgin 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 Elgin

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

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.