Best Online Project Management Programs in Chicago, IL (2026)

Chicago, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering project management programs, with tuition ranging from $39,200 to $47,313 per year for indexed programs. Chicago has a population of about 2,707,648. Median household income is $75,134 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 43.3% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning project management-related role is Computer and Information Systems Manager at a median $173,760 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).


Closest Project Management Schools to Chicago

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

#1

Rush University

Chicago, IL 2.7 miles from Chicago BOC Score 90.7
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 83%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $75,194
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 6

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

VanderCook College of Music

Chicago, IL 2.9 miles from Chicago BOC Score 53.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 61%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,863
Avg net price $19,780/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 78%
  • Programs offered: 1

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#3

Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago, IL 3.1 miles from Chicago 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

#4

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 3.1 miles from Chicago BOC Score 79.6
  • 4 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 70%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $68,740
Avg net price $10,974/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 53

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago, IL 3.3 miles from Chicago BOC Score 36.6
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $40,151
Avg net price $49,790/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 83%
  • Programs offered: 4

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#7

East-West University

Chicago, IL 3.9 miles from Chicago BOC Score 10.0
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 19%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $29,963
Avg net price $21,697/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 37%
  • Programs offered: 3

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

Columbia College Chicago

Chicago, IL 4.0 miles from Chicago BOC Score 24.4
  • 4 year
Graduation rate 55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,195
Avg net price $26,598/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 65%
  • Programs offered: 24

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Project Management Wages Near Chicago

Chicago 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)
Project Management Specialist$105,320Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$101,660
Construction Manager$117,280Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN$113,205
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.


Chicago at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population2,707,648Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$75,134Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+43.3%Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100)103.6 (above U.S. average)BEA RPP 2024

Other Chicago-Area Cities With Project Management Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited project management schools are near Chicago, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering project management programs near Chicago. The closest is Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL (4.1 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Parkside Flex (56.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying project management roles near Chicago?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying project management-related roles near Chicago are: Computer and Information Systems Manager ($173,760), Construction Manager ($117,280), Project Management Specialist ($105,320). 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 Cicero instead of Chicago?

Cicero, IL is 3.8 miles from Chicago and has its own set of local project management programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Chicago an affordable place to study project management?

Chicago’s median household income of $75,134 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Chicago 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 Project Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Chicago

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

Data verified: July 30, 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.