Best Sociology Schools Near Kankakee, IL (2026)

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

Kankakee, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs, with tuition ranging from $8,675 to $16,094 per year for indexed programs. Kankakee has a population of about 24,384. Median household income is $45,119 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 12.5% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In Illinois, the top-earning sociology-related role is Sociologists at a median $140,770 annually (BLS, May 2025).

Closest Sociology Schools to Kankakee

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

Ranked by BOC Score — U.S. Dept. of Education outcome data. Advertising never affects rankings.

Sort:
#1

Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais, IL 3.7 miles from Kankakee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
54.0 BOC Score
Graduation rate 63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $53,213
Avg net price $20,729/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 69%
  • Programs offered: 85

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#2

Saint Xavier University

Chicago, IL 42.5 miles from Kankakee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.8 BOC Score
Graduation rate 60%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,656
Avg net price $10,970/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 75%
  • Programs offered: 61

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#3

Chicago State University

Chicago, IL 44.6 miles from Kankakee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
36.3 BOC Score
Graduation rate 36%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $42,778
Avg net price $12,335/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 52%
  • Programs offered: 39

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#4

Benedictine University

Lisle, IL 48.2 miles from Kankakee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
56.0 BOC Score
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: 55

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#5

North Central College

Naperville, IL 48.7 miles from Kankakee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
67.2 BOC Score
Graduation rate 69%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $60,123
Avg net price $21,044/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 79%
  • Programs offered: 70

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#6

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL 49.3 miles from Kankakee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
93.3 BOC Score
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: 105

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad
#7

Aurora University

Aurora, IL 51.6 miles from Kankakee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
66.4 BOC Score
Graduation rate 67%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry $58,709
Avg net price $18,838/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Contact
Key stats
  • Retention rate: 77%
  • Programs offered: 44

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

#8

University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, IL 54.3 miles from Kankakee
  • 4 year
  • Offers a fully online program
79.6 BOC Score
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: 140

Source:IPEDSCollege Scorecard

Sponsored Ad

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

Sociology Wages Near Kankakee

Kankakee is part of the Kankakee, IL metro area (BLS area code 28100). 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)
Sociologists $140,770 IL statewide $146,027
Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary $82,610 IL statewide $85,695
Social and Human Service Assistants $43,250 Kankakee, IL $44,865
Survey Researchers $54,080 IL statewide $56,100
Child, Family, and School Social Workers $58,180 Kankakee, IL $60,353
Market Research Analysts and Marketing Specialists $56,110 Kankakee, IL $58,205
Social Science Research Assistants $64,890 IL statewide $67,313
Social and Community Service Managers $77,680 Kankakee, IL $80,581

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.

Kankakee at a Glance

Metric Value Source
Population 24,384 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003)
Median household income $45,119 Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013)
Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ 12.5% Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003)
Regional Price Parity (US=100) 96.4 (below U.S. average) BEA RPP 2024

Other Kankakee-Area Cities With Sociology Programs

Frequently Asked Questions

How many accredited sociology schools are near Kankakee, IL?

Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering sociology programs near Kankakee. The closest is Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL (3.7 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Chicago State University (44.6 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.

What are the highest-paying sociology roles near Kankakee?

Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying sociology-related roles near Kankakee are: Sociologists ($140,770), Sociology Teachers, Postsecondary ($82,610), Social and Community Service Managers ($77,680). 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 Braidwood instead of Kankakee?

Braidwood, IL is 22.0 miles from Kankakee and has its own set of local sociology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.

Is Kankakee an affordable place to study sociology?

Kankakee’s median household income of $45,119 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Kankakee 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 Sociology Programs

Other Programs Available in Kankakee

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

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.

Back to Best Sociology Schools in Illinois: Online Programs (2026)