Best Online Project Management Programs in Des Plaines, IL (2026)

Des Plaines, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering project management programs, with tuition ranging from $39,200 to $47,313 per year for indexed programs. Des Plaines has a population of about 59,408. 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 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 Des Plaines

The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer project management 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.

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 Des Plaines. Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.

#1

Oakton College

Des Plaines, IL 2.2 miles from Des Plaines BOC Score 57.2
  • 2 year
  • Campus + Online
Graduation rate 16%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $47,852
Avg net price $5,183/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Programs offered: 81

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

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


Project Management 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.

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.


Des Plaines at a Glance

MetricValueSource
Population59,408Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income$94,303Census 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 Project Management Programs


Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited project management schools are near Des Plaines, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering project management programs near Des Plaines. The closest is Elmhurst University in Elmhurst, IL (9.9 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is University of Wisconsin-Parkside Flex (42.4 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying project management roles near Des Plaines?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying project management-related roles near Des Plaines 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 Mount Prospect instead of Des Plaines?

Mount Prospect, IL is 2.8 miles from Des Plaines 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 Des Plaines an affordable place to study project management?

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 Project Management Programs

Other Programs Available in Des Plaines

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

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 2024โ€“2034) and the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard (2023 cohort). The source agency and data year are cited inline with every statistic.