Illinois · Finance and Financial Management Services

Best colleges for Finance and Financial Management Services in Illinois

Ranked by graduate earnings

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Loyola University Chicago and DePaul University are the top bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services programs in Illinois by graduate earnings. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $75,381, College Scorecard. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, University of Illinois Chicago and DePaul University award the most Finance and Financial Management Services degrees in Illinois: 278, 237 and 230 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25). 35 Illinois colleges offer Finance and Financial Management Services and award 1,608 degrees and certificates a year in all.

The Finance and Financial Management Services program prepares students for careers in the dynamic field of finance. This program is ideal for individuals interested in managing financial resources, analyzing investments, and providing…

Institutions
35
offering CIP 52.08
States & territories
52
with a program page
Degrees / yr
1,608
IPEDS completions 2024–25
Median starting salary
$57,171
1 yr after graduation, College Scorecard
With earnings data
22
College Scorecard
Median net price
$17,632
IPEDS 2024–25
Avg graduation rate
60%
IPEDS 2024–25
State pay · Financial Managers
$183,920
BLS OEWS May 2025

Top 10 bachelor's programs, ranked by graduate earnings

Ranked by median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard. Programs with fewer than 20 graduates a year, a graduation rate under 30%, or online, degree-completion or graduate-only status rank after the rest.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign Public · Bachelor's degree
$75,38127885%—$19,500
2Loyola University Chicago
Chicago Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$66,91910473%$33,454$24,988
3DePaul University
Chicago Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$66,86323068%$28,141$23,000
4Illinois Wesleyan University
Bloomington Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$62,6192975%$26,849$26,000
5Lake Forest College
Lake Forest Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$61,2643078%$25,052$27,000
6Elmhurst University
Elmhurst Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$57,1712970%$20,794$18,250
7University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago Public · Bachelor's degree
$55,59123762%—$17,625
8Illinois State University
Normal Public · Bachelor's degree
$54,95816865%—$20,500
9Northern Illinois University
Dekalb Public · Bachelor's degree
$54,8026249%—$19,500
10Bradley University
Peoria Private not-for-profit · Bachelor's degree
$54,2613276%$21,768$20,905

Top certificate or associate program

Shorter credentials, ranked separately so they are not compared with four-year degrees. Ranked by median earnings one year after completion (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.

Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionStarting salary (1 yr)Graduates / yrGrad rateNet priceMedian debt
1City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College
Chicago Public · Certificate Small program
$45,261426%——

Colleges awarding the most Finance and Financial Management Services degrees in Illinois

Top 10 by graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25 completions). Certificate and associate programs, online, degree-completion and graduate-only schools, and schools with a graduation rate under 30% are listed in full below.

Graduates / yr: degrees and certificates awarded in a year, IPEDS completions. Starting salary (1 yr): median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard.
#InstitutionGraduates / yrStarting salary (1 yr)
1University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Champaign Public
278$75,381
2University of Illinois Chicago
Chicago Public
237$55,591
3DePaul University
Chicago Private not-for-profit
230$66,863
4Illinois State University
Normal Public
168$54,958
5Loyola University Chicago
Chicago Private not-for-profit
104$66,919
6Northern Illinois University
Dekalb Public
62$54,802
7Lewis University
Romeoville Private not-for-profit
42$52,742
8Northwestern University
Evanston Private not-for-profit
38Not reported
9Bradley University
Peoria Private not-for-profit
32$54,261
10North Central College
Naperville Private not-for-profit
32$51,420
Show the other 25 Illinois colleges offering Finance and Financial Management Services
InstitutionCityControlGraduates / yr
Northeastern Illinois UniversityChicagoPublic35
Lake Forest CollegeLake ForestPrivate not-for-profit30
Elmhurst UniversityElmhurstPrivate not-for-profit29
Illinois Wesleyan UniversityBloomingtonPrivate not-for-profit29
Augustana CollegeRock IslandPrivate not-for-profit27
Saint Xavier UniversityChicagoPrivate not-for-profit26
Aurora UniversityAuroraPrivate not-for-profit22
Roosevelt UniversityChicagoPrivate not-for-profit21
Southern Illinois University - CarbondaleCarbondalePublic21
William Rainey Harper CollegePalatinePublic20
Eastern Illinois UniversityCharlestonPublic19
Western Illinois UniversityMacombPublic19
Dominican UniversityRiver ForestPrivate not-for-profit17
Benedictine UniversityLislePrivate not-for-profit16
University of ChicagoChicagoPrivate not-for-profit13
Millikin UniversityDecaturPrivate not-for-profit7
Illinois CollegeJacksonvillePrivate not-for-profit5
Lewis and Clark Community CollegeGodfreyPublic5
Quincy UniversityQuincyPrivate not-for-profit5
University of St FrancisJolietPrivate not-for-profit5
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington CollegeChicagoPublic4
Trinity Christian CollegePalos HeightsPrivate not-for-profit4
Black Hawk CollegeMolinePublic2
Concordia University - ChicagoRiver ForestPrivate not-for-profit2
Principia CollegeElsahPrivate not-for-profit2

Career outlook

What this program leads to: Financial Managers (SOC 11-3031).

Projected growth (2024–2034)
+14.8%
Much faster than average
Openings / yr (US)
~74,600
BLS Employment Projections
US median wage
$161,700
typically Bachelor's degree

Top skills

Reading ComprehensionCritical ThinkingActive ListeningSpeakingMonitoringWriting

What Financial Managers earn in Illinois

Jobs in Illinois
52,720
BLS OEWS May 2025
State average pay
$183,920
median $165,880
Best-paying metro
$191,110
Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN

Related careers

General and Operations Managers
$135,540 avg · 171,300 jobs
Financial Managers
$183,920 avg · 52,720 jobs
Securities, Commodities, and Financial Services Sales Agents
$119,200 avg · 27,920 jobs
Financial and Investment Analysts
$110,820 avg · 20,520 jobs
Tellers
$41,010 avg · 16,960 jobs
Loan Officers
$89,350 avg · 10,890 jobs

Common questions

Answers for students comparing Finance and Financial Management Services programs in Illinois.

Which Illinois colleges award the most Finance and Financial Management Services degrees?+

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (278 graduates a year), University of Illinois Chicago (237 graduates a year) and DePaul University (230 graduates a year) award the most Finance and Financial Management Services degrees in Illinois, per IPEDS 2024–25 completions. In all, 35 Illinois colleges offer Finance and Financial Management Services.

What is the best college for Finance and Financial Management Services in Illinois?+

By graduate earnings, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads among bachelor's Finance and Financial Management Services programs in Illinois, with median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary) of $75,381, College Scorecard. Loyola University Chicago and DePaul University follow. By degrees awarded, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the largest, with 278 graduates a year (IPEDS 2024–25).

Which Finance and Financial Management Services program in Illinois has the highest-earning graduates?+

By median earnings one year after graduation (often called starting salary), College Scorecard, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign tops the list at $75,381. Compare it against graduates a year, graduation rate, cost, and debt in the ranked table above.

How much do Financial Managers earn in Illinois?+

The average annual wage for Financial Managers in Illinois is $183,920 (median $165,880), across about 52,720 jobs. Source: BLS OEWS, May 2025.

What is the focus of the Finance and Financial Management Services program?+

The Finance and Financial Management Services program prepares students for careers in the dynamic field of finance. This program is ideal for individuals interested in managing financial resources, analyzing investments, and providing…

What skills will I develop in this program?+

You will develop reading comprehension, critical thinking, active listening, speaking, and related professional skills.

What is the job outlook for Financial Managers?+

The national job outlook is about +14.8% growth with around 74,600 annual openings (BLS Employment Projections 2024–2034).

What is the typical education requirement?+

A Bachelor's degree is the typical entry-level education for this field (BLS).

Finance and Financial Management Services in other statesDistrict of ColumbiaDelawareCaliforniaArizonaVirginiaNew HampshireUtahVermont

About the data on this page

Every figure comes from an official federal or public source. Here is each one and the release it is currently on.

IPEDSFall 2025–26 release, published July 28, 2026
Enrollment, completions, graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, staffing, and finance for every U.S. institution in federal student aid programs.
College ScorecardJune 10, 2026 release (merged 2025–26 files)
Institution and field-of-study costs, graduate earnings, debt, completion, and admissions outcomes compiled from federal aid records, tax data, and IPEDS.
PSEO graduate earnings2019–21 graduation cohorts (release V4.13.0)
Earnings and employment outcomes of graduates by institution, degree level, and field of study, measured from state wage records.
BLS wages & outlookOEWS May 2025 release
Occupational employment and wage estimates plus 10-year job outlook, used to connect programs to real-world earnings.
FVT/GE program performanceProvisional preview, May 18, 2026 release
Program-level debt-to-earnings and earnings-premium measures behind the FVT/GE and STATS accountability frameworks.

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