Best Innovation Schools Near South Elgin, IL (2026)

South Elgin, Illinois has 38 accredited schools offering innovation programs, with tuition ranging from $3,252 to $45,726 per year for indexed programs. South Elgin has a population of about 24,921. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning innovation-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $173,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Innovation Schools to South Elgin

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer innovation programs near South Elgin, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from South 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 South Elgin. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Judson University

Elgin, IL 5.0 miles from South Elgin BOC Score 52.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
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: 22

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

North Central College

Naperville, IL 17.3 miles from South 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 18.4 miles from South 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 20.1 miles from South 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

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 26.0 miles from South 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

#6

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 26.7 miles from South 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

#7

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 33.0 miles from South Elgin BOC Score 81.8
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 51

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Loyola University Chicago

Chicago, IL 33.7 miles from South Elgin BOC Score 66.2
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
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: 79

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Innovation Wages Near South Elgin

South 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)
General and Operations Manager$109,390Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$105,589
Management Analyst$105,090Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$101,438
Marketing Manager$165,340Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$159,595
Computer and Information Systems Manager$173,760Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$167,722

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.


South Elgin at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other South Elgin-Area Cities With Innovation Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited innovation schools are near South Elgin, IL?

Our directory has 38 accredited schools offering innovation programs near South Elgin. The closest is Elgin Community College in Elgin, IL (2.0 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Dominican University (25.9 miles). 8 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying innovation roles near South Elgin?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying innovation-related roles near South Elgin are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($173,760), Marketing Manager ($165,340), General and Operations Manager ($109,390). 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 Elgin instead of South Elgin?

Elgin, IL is 3.4 miles from South Elgin and has its own set of local innovation programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

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 Innovation Programs

Other Programs Available in South Elgin

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

Data verified: August 11, 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.