Best General Studies Schools Near Belvidere, IL (2026)

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

Belvidere, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $4,560 to $13,901 per year for indexed programs. Belvidere has a population of about 24,510. Median household income is $62,462 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 13.2% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Rockford, IL metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $98,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Belvidere

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

Northern Illinois University

Dekalb, IL 22.7 miles from Belvidere
  • 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

#2

Judson University

Elgin, IL 32.2 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
  • 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: 39

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#3

Aurora University

Aurora, IL 43.6 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
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: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Wheaton College

Wheaton, IL 47.4 miles from Belvidere
  • 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

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#5

North Central College

Naperville, IL 49.7 miles from Belvidere
  • 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

#6

Trinity International University-Illinois

Deerfield, IL 50.5 miles from Belvidere
  • 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

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#7

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 51.4 miles from Belvidere
  • 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

#8

Northern Baptist Theological Seminary

Lisle, IL 51.7 miles from Belvidere
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 5

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

General Studies Wages Near Belvidere

Belvidere is part of the Rockford, IL metro area (BLS area code 40420). 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)
General and Operations Managers $98,390 Rockford, IL $106,714
Management Analysts $96,430 Rockford, IL $104,588
Human Resources Specialists $65,490 Rockford, IL $71,030
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $61,810 Rockford, IL $67,039
Writers and Authors $68,220 IL statewide $73,991
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $78,500 Rockford, IL $85,141
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $65,740 Rockford, IL $71,302
Social and Community Service Managers $74,990 Rockford, IL $81,334

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.

Belvidere at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,510 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $62,462 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 13.2% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 92.2 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Belvidere-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited general studies schools are near Belvidere, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Belvidere. The closest is Rock Valley College in Rockford, IL (7.5 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is McHenry County College (25.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying general studies roles near Belvidere?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Belvidere are: General and Operations Managers ($98,390), Management Analysts ($96,430), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($78,500). 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 Loves Park instead of Belvidere?

Loves Park, IL is 8.8 miles from Belvidere and has its own set of local general studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Belvidere an affordable place to study general studies?

Belvidere’s median household income of $62,462 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Belvidere 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 General Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Belvidere

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

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.

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