Best Economics Schools Near Plainfield, IL (2026)

Updated August 31, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Plainfield, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering economics programs, with tuition ranging from $39,200 to $47,313 per year for indexed programs. Plainfield has a population of about 45,705. Median household income is $142,265 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 54.9% 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 Plainfield

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer economics programs near Plainfield, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Plainfield 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 Plainfield. 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 7.7 miles from Plainfield
  • 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

University of St Francis

Joliet, IL 9.1 miles from Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
74.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,926
Avg net price $13,006/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 76%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

North Central College

Naperville, IL 11.6 miles from Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 12.7 miles from Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,446
Avg net price $22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 18.5 miles from Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
75.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $63,756
Avg net price $26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 93%
  • Programs offered: 49

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 24.0 miles from Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,462
Avg net price $24,185/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 28.5 miles from Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
Graduation rate 59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,327
Avg net price $11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Governors State University

University Park, IL 28.9 miles from Plainfield
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
51.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,169
Avg net price $12,329/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 58%
  • Programs offered: 54

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Economics Wages Near Plainfield

Plainfield 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.

Plainfield at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population45,705Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$142,265Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+54.9%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Plainfield-Area Cities With Economics Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited economics schools are near Plainfield, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering economics programs near Plainfield. The closest is Lewis University in Romeoville, IL (7.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wheaton College (18.5 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying economics roles near Plainfield?

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

Romeoville, IL is 6.5 miles from Plainfield 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 Plainfield an affordable place to study economics?

Plainfield’s median household income of $142,265 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Plainfield 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 Plainfield

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

Data verified: August 31, 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.

Back to Best Economics Schools in Illinois: Online Programs (2026)