Illinois is firmly near the front of the rankings in terms of education. According to the U.S. News & World Report, they’re ranked around #12. A lot goes into this ranking. For instance, around 45.4% of the population has a college degree, which is what most metrics consider “educated.” Most educated places in Illinois have a high occurrence of bachelor’s degrees.
That said, Illinois ranks only #31 for higher education, specifically. They rank #5 for pre-K through 12th grade schools, though. Simply put, they have a higher high school graduation rate and high-quality schools. However, their college graduation rate is much lower.
Of course, some areas of Illinois are more educated than others. Let’s take a look at the most educated places in Illinois using the current percentage of bachelor’s degrees.
1. DuPage County
DuPage County is very close to Chicago and is typically considered a Chicago suburb.
©JaySi/Shutterstock.com
This county leads the pack with the highest concentration of people with a bachelor’s degree at 35.2%. This affluent suburban county is located close to Chicago and has many different universities and research institutions. It likely draws in the educated population for this reason.
For instance, you’ll find Fermilab and Northwestern Medicine both attract very highly educated professionals. There is a community college as well, providing an accessible pathway to degrees.
This helps those living in the county without degrees obtain them while attracting new citizens with degrees to its research institutions.
2. Lake County
Similarly to DuPage County, Lake County is located close to Chicago and is a major research hub.
Lake County is in second place at 30.6%. It is also located close to Chicago and is a major research hub. This county benefits from having several research centers, such as Abbott Laboratories. However, the County College of Lake County also offers diverse programs for those living nearby.
It’s also home to Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science, another big intellectual hotspot.
The county’s public schools boast a focus on STEM education, contributing to its high bachelor’s degree rate.
3. Cook County
This county is home to
manyparks, as well as prestigious universities.
©The Other 95%, CC BY-SA 4.0 <https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/4.0>, via Wikimedia Commons - Original / License
Cook County includes Chicago and some of the surrounding areas. This county does have a lower percentage of degree holders, at 28.8%. However, Chicago is home to several renowned universities.
The socioeconomic disparities of the city cannot be overstated, though. While they do seem to have a higher percentage of college degrees, that doesn’t mean that everyone lives in the lap of luxury.
Because these disparities exist, making generalizations about Cook County is challenging. It is home to prestigious universities like Northwestern and DePaul, which helps contribute to its high college education rate.
Areas closer to Chicago tend to have a higher education rate than communities on the outskirts. However, Chicago is taking steps to fix some of these disparities through initiatives like City Colleges of Chicago.
4. McLean County
This county is a bit different than the ones we’ve discussed thus far, as it isn’t very close to Chicago.
©Nicholas Boddy/Shutterstock.com
McLean County is best known for being home to Illinois State University. For this reason, it has a pretty high percentage of bachelor’s degrees, as you might expect. There are other colleges located nearby, too, which increase the chance for the local population to pursue a degree.
It has a very high education level compared to other downstate counties.
Illinois State University attracts students from all over the state, drawing in college-educated individuals. Heartland Community College offers vocational and transfer programs, helping cater to the educational needs of the local population.
These two colleges help further the education of the county and contribute to it’s high percentage of college degrees.
5. Champaign County
On top of being highly educated, this county also has many recreational activities.
©Rafsun Mashraky/iStock via Getty Images
Currently, around 26.6% of the population in Champaign County has college degrees. This county is centered around the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The county enjoys quite a bit of prestige thanks to this institution. The location of this college directly translates to more college-educated students in the area.
This county’s degree prevalence is notably lower than McLean County and some other counties we discussed.
The presence of the college draws in scholars and researchers from nearby, and its presence spills over into the local community and public schools.
However, like everywhere, disparities exist.
The photo featured at the top of this post is © stevegeer/iStock via Getty Images
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