Best Political Science Schools Near Waukegan, IL (2026)

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

Waukegan, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs, with tuition ranging from $38,750 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 political science-related role is Management Analysts at a median $105,090 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).

Closest Political Science Schools to Waukegan

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer political science 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

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

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#3

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

#4

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

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#5

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

#6

Dominican University

River Forest, IL 32.4 miles from Waukegan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
68.6 BOC Score
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: 63

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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#7

Concordia University-Chicago

River Forest, IL 32.7 miles from Waukegan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
49.4 BOC Score
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: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Elmhurst University

Elmhurst, IL 32.9 miles from Waukegan
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
64.9 BOC Score
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: 74

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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

Political Science 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)
Political Scientists $103,780 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $100,174
Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary $100,700 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $97,201
Management Analysts $105,090 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $101,438
Public Relations Specialists $77,050 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $74,373
Survey Researchers $54,080 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $52,201
Paralegals and Legal Assistants $70,550 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $68,098
Compliance Officers $82,020 Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN $79,170
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 Political Science Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited political science schools are near Waukegan, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering political science programs near Waukegan. The closest is Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL (8.6 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Loyola University Chicago (27.8 miles). 3 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying political science roles near Waukegan?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying political science-related roles near Waukegan are: Management Analysts ($105,090), Political Scientists ($103,780), Political Science Teachers, Postsecondary ($100,700). 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 political science 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 political science?

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 Political Science 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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