Best Online Liberal Arts Programs in Northbrook, IL (2026)

Northbrook, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs, with tuition ranging from $34,290 to $46,548 per year for indexed programs. Northbrook has a population of about 34,642. Median household income is $155,321 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 73.1% 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 Northbrook

The 5 accredited institutions below are the closest among the 5 schools in our directory that offer liberal arts programs near Northbrook. Distances are calculated from Northbrook city center.

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 Northbrook. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Lake Forest College

Lake Forest, IL 8.2 miles from Northbrook BOC Score59.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#2

Northwestern University

Evanston, IL 9.9 miles from Northbrook BOC Score81.8
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#3

Elgin Community College

Elgin, IL 26.1 miles from Northbrook BOC Score50.2
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programs--

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#4

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL 26.3 miles from Northbrook BOC Score93.3
Published tuitionContact school for pricing
Online programsYes

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#5

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 27.7 miles from Northbrook BOC Score55.9
Published tuition$34,290 - $46,548
Online programsYes

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


Liberal Arts Wages Near Northbrook

Northbrook 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.


Northbrook at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population34,642Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$155,321Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+73.1%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 Cook County18,707 workers, 1,168 establishmentsBLS QCEW 2024 annual

Other Northbrook-Area Cities With Liberal Arts Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited liberal arts schools are near Northbrook, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering liberal arts programs near Northbrook. The closest is Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL (8.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Benedictine University (27.7 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying liberal arts roles near Northbrook?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying liberal arts-related roles near Northbrook 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 Glenview instead of Northbrook?

Glenview, IL is 3.3 miles from Northbrook 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 Northbrook an affordable place to study liberal arts?

Northbrook’s median household income of $155,321 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Northbrook 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 Northbrook

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

Data verified: June 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.