Best Entrepreneurship Schools Near Sterling, IL (2026)

Updated August 25, 2026 BLS data College Scorecard On this page

Sterling, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering entrepreneurship programs, with tuition ranging from $36,658 to $51,141 per year for indexed programs. Sterling has a population of about 14,670. Median household income is $52,647 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 18.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning entrepreneurship-related role is Marketing Manager at a median $162,860 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Entrepreneurship Schools to Sterling

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

Judson University

Elgin, IL 74.4 miles from Sterling
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
52.6 BOC Score
Acceptance rate 48%
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $56,313
Avg net price $18,558/yr
Tuition
In‑state$31,360
Out‑of‑state$31,360
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 66%
  • Programs offered: 7

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 76.2 miles from Sterling
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
74.1 BOC Score
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

North Central College

Naperville, IL 80.0 miles from Sterling
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 15

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 82.3 miles from Sterling
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 13

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

University of St Francis

Joliet, IL 84.5 miles from Sterling
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 90.3 miles from Sterling
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 18

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 96.6 miles from Sterling
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 9

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 97.3 miles from Sterling
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
49.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $54,089
Avg net price $18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 61%
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Entrepreneurship Wages Near Sterling

OccupationMedian Annual Wage (Illinois, statewide)
General and Operations Manager$103,570
Management Analyst$104,270
Marketing Manager$162,860
Market Research Analyst$79,120

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.

Sterling at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population14,670Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$52,647Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+18.5%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)

Other Sterling-Area Cities With Entrepreneurship Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited entrepreneurship schools are near Sterling, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering entrepreneurship programs near Sterling. The closest is Sauk Valley Community College in Dixon, IL (5.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Rock Valley College (50.2 miles). 4 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying entrepreneurship roles in Illinois?

Based on BLS May 2025 state wage data, the top-paying entrepreneurship-related roles in Illinois are: Marketing Manager ($162,860), Management Analyst ($104,270), General and Operations Manager ($103,570). Wages for Sterling workers will track these statewide medians, adjusted for local cost of living.

Should I look at programs in Clinton instead of Sterling?

Clinton, IA is 28.3 miles from Sterling and has its own set of local entrepreneurship programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Sterling an affordable place to study entrepreneurship?

Sterling’s median household income of $52,647 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Sterling 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 Entrepreneurship Programs

Other Programs Available in Sterling

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

Data verified: August 25, 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.

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