Best General Studies Schools Near Waukegan, IL (2026)

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

Waukegan, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs, with tuition ranging from $4,788 to $70,655 per year for indexed programs. Waukegan has a population of about 88,919. Median household income is $70,578 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 21.0% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning general studies-related role is General and Operations Managers at a median $109,390 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest General Studies Schools to Waukegan

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

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 8.6 miles from Waukegan
  • 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

#2

Trinity International University-Illinois

Deerfield, IL 11.9 miles from Waukegan
  • 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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#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 24.1 miles from Waukegan
  • 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

#4

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 27.8 miles from Waukegan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 71%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $71,530
Avg net price $36,079/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 168

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#5

Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago, IL 28.0 miles from Waukegan
  • 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

#6

North Park University

Chicago, IL 28.5 miles from Waukegan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
61.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $59,572
Avg net price $16,948/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

St. Augustine College

Chicago, IL 29.5 miles from Waukegan
  • 4 year
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 11

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Judson University

Elgin, IL 30.2 miles from Waukegan
  • 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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Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois general studies page.

General Studies Wages Near Waukegan

Waukegan 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)
General and Operations Managers $109,390 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $105,589
Management Analysts $105,090 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $101,438
Human Resources Specialists $78,210 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $75,492
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $80,400 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $77,606
Writers and Authors $75,940 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $73,301
Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education $98,970 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $95,531
First-Line Supervisors of Office and Administrative Support Workers $71,730 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $69,237
Social and Community Service Managers $79,150 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $76,400

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.

Waukegan at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 88,919 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $70,578 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 21.0% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Waukegan-Area Cities With General Studies Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

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

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering general studies programs near Waukegan. The closest is College of Lake County in Grayslake, IL (7.3 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Gateway Technical College (16.4 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

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

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying general studies-related roles near Waukegan are: General and Operations Managers ($109,390), Management Analysts ($105,090), Secondary School Teachers, Except Special and Career/Technical Education ($98,970). 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 Gurnee instead of Waukegan?

Gurnee, IL is 3.4 miles from Waukegan 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 Waukegan an affordable place to study general studies?

Waukegan’s median household income of $70,578 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Waukegan 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 Waukegan

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

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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