Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Lake in the Hills, IL (2026)

Lake in the Hills, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $3,432 to $46,548 per year for indexed programs. Lake in the Hills has a population of about 28,853. Median household income is $113,491 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 36.7% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning liberal arts-related role is Management Analyst at a median $105,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Liberal Arts Schools to Lake in the Hills

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

#1

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 26.8 miles from Lake in the Hills 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

#2

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 31.3 miles from Lake in the Hills 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

#3

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 35.8 miles from Lake in the Hills 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

#4

DePaul University

Chicago, IL 42.9 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 66.4
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 68%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,751
Avg net price $30,902/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 84

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#5

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL 44.6 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 81.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
  • Accredited
Acceptance rate 55%
Graduation rate 74%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $82,592
Avg net price $18,425/yr
Tuition
In‑state$52,386
Out‑of‑state$52,386
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 86%
  • Programs offered: 34

Source:Accreditor: Higher Learning CommissionIPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL 47.3 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 93.3
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 96%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $91,885
Avg net price $14,860/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 99%
  • Programs offered: 22

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

Bradley University

Peoria, IL 122.3 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 74.1
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 77%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $66,852
Avg net price $22,719/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 84%
  • Programs offered: 52

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign, IL 144.0 miles from Lake in the Hills BOC Score 90.0
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 86%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $81,054
Avg net price $14,355/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 95%
  • Programs offered: 57

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Lake in the Hills

Lake in the Hills 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)
Public Relations Specialist$77,050Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$74,373
Management Analyst$105,090Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$101,438
Technical Writer$89,960Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$86,834
News Analyst, Reporter, or Journalist$70,350Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$67,905
Editor$80,380Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$77,587
Training and Development Specialist$67,050Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$64,720
Human Resources Specialist$78,210Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$75,492

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.


Lake in the Hills at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population28,853Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$113,491Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+36.7%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024
Liberal Arts-related employment in McHenry County177 workers, 42 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Lake in the Hills-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Lake in the Hills, IL?

Accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Lake in the Hills are listed on this page, ranked by BOC Score and distance from the city center. The list is rebuilt from federal IPEDS and College Scorecard data on every site update, so it stays current as programs open and close.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Lake in the Hills?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Lake in the Hills are: Management Analyst ($105,090), Technical Writer ($89,960), Editor ($80,380). 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 Algonquin instead of Lake in the Hills?

Algonquin, IL is 2.6 miles from Lake in the Hills and has its own set of local liberal arts programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Lake in the Hills an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Lake in the Hills’s median household income of $113,491 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Lake in the Hills 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 Liberal Arts Programs

Other Programs Available in Lake in the Hills

Compare every accredited online degree program with city-level data for Lake in the Hills:

Data verified: July 23, 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.