The Best Bachelor's in Entrepreneurship Programs in Illinois for 2027

The University of Illinois Chicago offers a Bachelor of Science in Entrepreneurship through UIC Business. The page describes a four-year, 120-credit-hour, in-person degree that the school reports is AACSB accredited. Students study business planning, financing, marketing, management, information technology and consulting, and apply them to new ventures, small enterprises and family businesses. UIC says it partners with startup hubs and connects students with internships, and it points to co-curricular workshops, idea sprints and pitch competitions. Minors in leadership and in supply chain and operations management are suggested as additions. Outcomes listed include writing venture plans, screening opportunities and consulting with business owners.

UIC graduates 62% of its students and admits 77% of applicants. In-state tuition is $12,789 and out-of-state tuition is $28,849, so residency makes a large difference. The program has a Program Score of 79.8 out of 100, the basis of its ranking. It suits students who want to start or run a business and also want a degree that qualifies them for management-training roles, a path the page says employers value. Its city location puts internships and startup connections close to campus.

The University of St. Francis offers a BBA in Entrepreneurship that stresses business plan development and hands-on experience through internships. Students can join the USF Business Incubator, where startups collaborate in a co-working environment, and student memberships are free so they can test a business idea with its resources. The college's faculty and administrators are involved in the regional business community, and the page says there are typically more internship opportunities than students to fill them. Internships are strongly encouraged but not required, mostly paid, and involve 10 to 25 hours of work a week for academic credit. Through the 3 to Degree program, seniors can take nine graduate credit hours for dual credit and finish an MBA or M.S. one year after graduating.

St. Francis graduates 67% of its students and admits 65% of applicants. In-state tuition is $38,110, and out-of-state tuition is also $38,110. The program has a Program Score of 78.8 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want a small-school entrepreneurship degree with a place to try out a real idea and local internship access. The incubator and the dual-credit graduate path are the main features that set it apart.

Principia College does not list a stand-alone entrepreneurship degree on its page. Entrepreneurship is an area of emphasis within the Business Administration major, alongside Tech Innovation, Finance and Marketing. Every major must select an emphasis and have its courses approved by an advisor. The major itself covers management, operations, marketing and finance, and the school says it stresses critical thinking, problem-solving, leadership, teamwork, ethical decision-making and social impact. Students are required to complete a career-based, off-campus internship at a business firm, government agency or established NGO, approved through the Career Center and the major advisor. Students are encouraged to declare by the second semester of their freshman year, starting with business analytics and microeconomics.

Principia is an open admission college, and it graduates 74% of its students. In-state tuition is $33,600, and out-of-state tuition is also $33,600. The program has a Program Score of 78.7 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It fits students who want an entrepreneurial focus inside a broad business degree on a campus of 339 students. Those who want a dedicated entrepreneurship major with its own course sequence should note that this is an emphasis rather than a separate degree.

Loyola University Chicago offers a BBA in Entrepreneurship through its Quinlan School of Business. The page describes a program that concentrates on learning by doing: hands-on projects, real-world challenges and collaboration with industry experts. The curriculum walks students through validating market need, product development and prototyping, go-to-market strategy, customer acquisition and international expansion, with a thread on social impact and ethical decision-making. Students also take the University Core, the Business Core and the school's undergraduate business requirements. Loyola offers an entrepreneurship minor as well, open to business and non-business majors. The school notes that, as a member of the Jesuit network of 27 colleges and universities, graduates can use career services at other Jesuit campuses.

Loyola graduates 73% of its students, and it admits 82% of applicants. In-state tuition is $52,230, and out-of-state tuition is the same $52,230. The program carries a Program Score of 76.9 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. The program suits students who want to start a venture or bring an entrepreneurial approach into consulting, product management or business development, and who want a project-driven classroom at a large private university in Chicago. It is a private nonprofit school, so the price is the same for every student regardless of residency.

Concordia University Chicago's College of Business offers an undergraduate major in Entrepreneurship and Innovation, delivered on campus. The page says the major covers planning, funding and launching a business and leading it to stability and growth, with an emphasis on experimental marketing and bootstrapping over standard profitability goals. Two degree tracks exist: a bachelor of arts in management requiring 48 semester hours, and a bachelor of science with a more intensive business core requiring 54 semester hours. Both tracks require accounting, economics, statistics, information technology, management, ethics, finance, marketing, organizational behavior and business law. BS students choose electives such as personal finance, small business management and corporate finance. Listed outcomes include designing a business plan and understanding entrepreneurism in startups and corporate ventures.

Federal data shows a 36% graduation rate at Concordia Chicago and an admit rate of 93%. Tuition is $36,430, the same for in-state and out-of-state students. The program earns a Program Score of 57.4 out of 100, which is the basis of its ranking. It suits students who want a business foundation with an entrepreneurial angle and the choice between a liberal arts BA or a more business-intensive BS.