Best Online Finance Programs in Elgin, IL (2026)

Elgin, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering finance 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 finance-related role is Financial Manager at a median $168,810 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Finance Schools to Elgin

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer finance 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.

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 Elgin. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Aurora University

Aurora, IL 19.6 miles from Elgin BOC Score 66.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,709
Avg net price $18,838/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 26

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Central College

Naperville, IL 20.5 miles from Elgin BOC Score 67.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 35

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 21.4 miles from Elgin BOC Score 56.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 32

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 21.8 miles from Elgin BOC Score 64.9
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 24.7 miles from Elgin BOC Score 65.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 42

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 27.3 miles from Elgin BOC Score 68.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 30

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 28.1 miles from Elgin BOC Score 49.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 48

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 29.1 miles from Elgin BOC Score 59.9
  • 4 year
  • Accredited
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: 8

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Finance 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)
Personal Financial Advisor$113,210Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$109,276
Financial and Investment Analyst$101,750Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$98,214
Loan Officer$80,040Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,259
Financial Manager$168,810Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$162,944

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 Finance Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited finance schools are near Elgin, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering finance programs near Elgin. The closest is William Rainey Harper College in Palatine, IL (13.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Elmhurst University (21.8 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying finance roles near Elgin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying finance-related roles near Elgin are: Financial Manager ($168,810), Personal Financial Advisor ($113,210), 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 Carpentersville instead of Elgin?

Carpentersville, IL is 6.1 miles from Elgin and has its own set of local finance 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 finance?

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 Finance Programs

Other Programs Available in Elgin

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.