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2025 Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois

44 Colleges in Illinois
13,167 Associate Degrees
Ranked #1 in popularity, liberal arts is one of the most sought-after associate degree programs in the nation. This makes choosing the right school a hard decision.

College Factual looked at 44 colleges and universities when compiling its 2025 Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois ranking. When you put them all together, these colleges and universities awarded 13,167 associate degrees in liberal arts during the 2022-2023 academic year.

Jump to one of the following sections: * Our Methodology

Choosing a Great Liberal Arts School for Your Associate Degree

Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois Your choice of liberal arts for getting your associate degree school matters. This section explores some of the factors we include in our ranking and how much they vary depending on the school you select. When choosing a school we recommend considering some of the following factors:

Quality Overall Is Important

The overall quality of a associate degree school is important to ensure a quality education, not just how well they do in a particular major. To make it into this list a school must rank well in our overall Best Colleges ranking. This ranking considered factors such as graduation rates, overall graduate earnings and other educational resources to identify great colleges and universities.

Other Factors We Consider

In addition to the above, you should consider some of the following factors:

Our full ranking methodology documents in more detail how we consider these factors to identify the best schools for liberal arts students working on their associate degree.

One Size Does Not Fit All

Rankings by Location Check Out Other Locales
More Liberal Studies Rankings Other Ranking Categories

When choosing the right school for you, it's important to arm yourself with all the facts you can. To that end, we've created a number of major-specific rankings, including this Best Liberal Arts Associate Degree Schools in Illinois list to help you make the college decision.

Best Schools for Associate Students to Study Liberal Arts in Illinois

The following list ranks the best colleges and universities for pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts.

10 Top Illinois Schools for an Associate in Liberal Studies

1
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
383 Annual Graduates

It's hard to beat Lincoln Land Community College if you want to pursue an associate degree in liberal arts. Located in the rural area of Springfield, LLCC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts from Lincoln Land Community College

2
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
430 Annual Graduates

Waubonsee Community College is a good choice for students pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts. Located in the rural area of Sugar Grove, Waubonsee is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts from Waubonsee Community College

3
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
946 Annual Graduates

William Rainey Harper College is a great decision for students pursuing an associate degree in liberal arts. Harper College is a fairly large public college located in the large suburb of Palatine.More information about a associate in liberal arts from William Rainey Harper College

4
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
874 Annual Graduates

College of Lake County is a good option for individuals interested in an associate degree in liberal arts. College of Lake County is a large public college located in the suburb of Grayslake.More information about a associate in liberal arts from College of Lake County

5
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
524 Annual Graduates

Located in the medium-sized city of Elgin, ECC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts from Elgin Community College

6
SSC crest
South Suburban College
South Holland, IL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
111 Annual Graduates

SSC is a small public college located in the large suburb of South Holland.More information about a associate in liberal arts from South Suburban College

7
COD crest
College of DuPage
Glen Ellyn, IL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
673 Annual Graduates

COD is a very large public college located in the suburb of Glen Ellyn.More information about a associate in liberal arts from College of DuPage

8
Rock Valley College crest
Rock Valley College
Rockford, IL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
509 Annual Graduates

Located in the midsize city of Rockford, Rock Valley College is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts from Rock Valley College

9
ICC crest
Illinois Central College
East Peoria, IL
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
490 Annual Graduates

Located in the suburb of East Peoria, ICC is a public college with a medium-sized student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts from Illinois Central College

10
Associate Degree Highest Degree Type
661 Annual Graduates

Located in the city of Chicago, Harold Washington College is a public college with a moderately-sized student population.More information about a associate in liberal arts from City Colleges of Chicago - Harold Washington College

Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Region

Explore all the Best Liberal Arts Colleges in the Great Lakes Area or other specific states within that region.

State Colleges Degrees Awarded
Ohio 450 6,765
Michigan 410 4,620
Wisconsin 224 642
Indiana 221 1,036

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Liberal Arts is one of 3 different types of Liberal Arts General Studies programs to choose from.

Related Major Annual Graduates
General Studies 2,099

Notes and References

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