Downers Grove, Illinois has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs. Downers Grove has a population of about 49,867. Median household income is $119,649 (Census ACS 2023, 5-year). About 58.8% of adults 25+ hold a bachelor’s degree or higher. In the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN metro area, the top-earning theology-related role is Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary at a median $78,930 annually (BLS OEWS, May 2025).
Closest Theology Schools to Downers Grove
The accredited institutions listed below are the closest in our directory that offer theology programs near Downers Grove, ranked by BOC Score and straight-line distance from Downers Grove 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:
BOCSCORE
- 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 Downers Grove.
Advertising never affects these rankings. Read the full methodology.
TuitionContact school for pricing
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,446
Avg net price
$22,313/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 68%
- Programs offered: 55
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
88%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$63,756
Avg net price
$26,975/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 93%
- Programs offered: 49
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
59%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$60,327
Avg net price
$11,745/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 79%
- Programs offered: 63
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
56%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$54,089
Avg net price
$18,436/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 61%
- Programs offered: 70
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
62%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$55,700
Avg net price
$19,125/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 80%
- Programs offered: 45
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
63%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$59,572
Avg net price
$16,948/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 65%
- Programs offered: 53
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Graduation rate
55%
Median earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$45,399
Avg net price
$22,221/yr
TuitionContact school for pricing
Key stats- Retention rate: 87%
- Programs offered: 14
Source:IPEDS · College Scorecard
Source: IPEDS / College Scorecard (2023 cohort). Browse all Illinois schools on the Illinois theology page.
Theology Wages Near Downers Grove
Downers Grove 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) |
|---|
| Clergy | $61,820 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $59,672 |
| Director of Religious Activities and Education | $52,560 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $50,734 |
| Religious Worker, All Other | $50,210 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $48,465 |
| Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary | $78,930 | Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN | $76,187 |
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.
Downers Grove at a Glance
| Metric | Value | Source |
|---|
| Population | 49,867 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B01003) |
| Median household income | $119,649 | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B19013) |
| Adults 25+ with bachelor’s+ | 58.8% | Census ACS 2023 5-yr (B15003) |
| Regional Price Parity (US=100) | 103.6 (above U.S. average) | BEA RPP 2024 |
Other Downers Grove-Area Cities With Theology Programs
- Westmont, IL – 2.2 mi away (24,767 pop)
- Lisle, IL – 3.7 mi away (22,930 pop)
- Darien, IL – 3.9 mi away (22,085 pop)
- Woodridge, IL – 4.2 mi away (33,476 pop)
- Lombard, IL – 5.5 mi away (43,815 pop)
Frequently Asked Questions
How many accredited theology schools are near Downers Grove, IL?
Our directory has 5 accredited schools offering theology programs near Downers Grove. The closest is Northern Baptist Theological Seminary in Lisle, IL (2.2 miles), and the farthest of the schools shown is Concordia University-Chicago (12.9 miles). 5 of the highlighted schools are flagged as offering distance education.
What are the highest-paying theology roles near Downers Grove?
Based on BLS OEWS May 2025 wage data, the top-paying theology-related roles near Downers Grove are: Philosophy and Religion Teacher, Postsecondary ($78,930), Clergy ($61,820), Director of Religious Activities and Education ($52,560). 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 Westmont instead of Downers Grove?
Westmont, IL is 2.2 miles from Downers Grove and has its own set of local theology programs – see the city’s page. For online programs, distance matters less; for hybrid or in-person formats, comparing both can help.
Is Downers Grove an affordable place to study theology?
Downers Grove’s median household income of $119,649 (Census ACS 2023) is one input. Online programs let students stay in Downers Grove 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 Theology Programs
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Data verified: September 1, 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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