Best Intelligence Studies Schools Near Des Plaines, IL (2026)

Des Plaines, Illinois is home to about 59,408 residents. Median household income is $94,303 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 38.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning intelligence studies-related role is Managers, All Other at a median $145,370 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Intelligence Studies Schools to Des Plaines

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer intelligence studies programs near Des Plaines, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Des Plaines city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS data on every site update.

No school data available.

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


Intelligence Studies Wages Near Des Plaines

Des Plaines 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)
Detectives and Criminal Investigators $102,260 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $98,707
Political Scientists $103,780 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $100,174
Management Analysts $105,090 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $101,438
Compliance Officers $82,020 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $79,170
Information Security Analysts $125,310 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $120,956
Private Detectives and Investigators $68,310 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $65,936
Managers, All Other $145,370 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $140,319
Business Operations Specialists, All Other $81,170 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $78,349

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.


Des Plaines at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 59,408 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $94,303 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 38.7% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 103.6 (above U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Des Plaines-Area Cities With Intelligence Studies Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

What are the highest-paying intelligence studies roles near Des Plaines?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying intelligence studies-related roles near Des Plaines are: Managers, All Other ($145,370), Information Security Analysts ($125,310), Management Analysts ($105,090). 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 Mount Prospect instead of Des Plaines?

Mount Prospect, IL is 2.8 miles from Des Plaines and has its own set of local intelligence studies programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Des Plaines an affordable place to study intelligence studies?

Des Plaines’s median household income of $94,303 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Des Plaines 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 Intelligence Studies Programs

Other Programs Available in Des Plaines

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

Data verified: September 7, 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.