Best English Schools Near McHenry, IL (2026)

Updated September 5, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

McHenry, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering english programs, with tuition ranging from $38,750 to $70,655 per year for indexed programs. McHenry has a population of about 27,774. Median household income is $86,865 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 25.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning english-related role is Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education at a median $98,970 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest English Schools to McHenry

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

Trinity International University-Illinois

Deerfield, IL 23.2 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
45.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 47%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $46,989
Avg net price $2,835/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 5%
  • Programs offered: 25

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 24.6 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
59.9 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 57%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $61,825
Avg net price $28,673/yr
Tuition
In‑state$56,402
Out‑of‑state$56,402
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 88%
  • Programs offered: 35

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 33.9 miles from McHenry
  • 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

#4

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 35.3 miles from McHenry
  • 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

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#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 37.0 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
65.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 64%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $57,808
Avg net price $13,391/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 70%
  • Programs offered: 92

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 37.2 miles from McHenry
  • 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

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#7

Rockford University

Rockford, IL 37.4 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
38.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 57%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,794
Avg net price $22,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 68%
  • Programs offered: 28

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 38.4 miles from McHenry
  • 4 year
35.5 BOC Score
Graduation rate 46%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $52,234
Avg net price $14,109/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 57%
  • Programs offered: 56

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

English Wages Near McHenry

McHenry 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)
Writers and Authors $75,940 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $73,301
Editors $80,380 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $77,587
Technical Writers $89,960 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $86,834
English Language and Literature Teachers, Postsecondary $78,620 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $75,888
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,970 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $95,531
Public Relations Specialists $77,050 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $74,373
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $80,400 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $77,606
Librarians and Media Collections Specialists $66,250 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $63,948

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.

McHenry at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 27,774 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $86,865 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 25.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other McHenry-Area Cities With English Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited english schools are near McHenry, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering english programs near McHenry. The closest is Trinity International University-Illinois in Deerfield, IL (23.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Wheaton College (33.9 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying english roles near McHenry?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying english-related roles near McHenry are: Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($98,970), Technical Writers ($89,960), Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists ($80,400). 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 Woodstock instead of McHenry?

Woodstock, IL is 7.5 miles from McHenry and has its own set of local english programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is McHenry an affordable place to study english?

McHenry’s median household income of $86,865 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in McHenry 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 English Programs

Other Programs Available in McHenry

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

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.

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