Best Accelerated Online Bachelor's Programs in Illinois 2025

The key to completing college quicker is to enroll in accelerated online bachelor's degree programs and finish college in less than four years. This allows Illinois students to earn important credentials in a shorter time, and often with lower expenses. It also works great if you want to earn a bachelor's degree and master's degree simultaneously.

We'll show you how to find the right accelerated bachelor's degree online. Consider this your chance to learn much more efficient ways to finish college and jumpstart a high-paying career sooner.

How Long Does It Take To Earn an Online Bachelor's Degree in Illinois?

The completion time for an online degree depends on the institution you select and whether you enroll in a fast-track program. The best accelerated online bachelor's degree programs can make a four-year degree take no more than a year or two at an accredited university.

You can also speed up your education by leveraging transfer credits from a community college or another institution. Accelerated online courses and transfer credits grant you the fastest way to get a bachelor's degree in Illinois.

Accelerated Online Bachelor's Degree Programs in Illinois

Here's a list of accredited Illinois colleges that offer fast-track, self-paced, or accelerated bachelor's degrees. These degrees are affordable and can be completed faster than traditional degrees.

1. Western Illinois University

Western Illinois University offers some of its bachelor's degrees through online and hybrid formats, including opportunities for faster degree completion. One option is a Bachelor of Science (BS) in law enforcement and criminal justice. This program lets you take coursework to finish faster and even obtain an additional master's degree within about five years.

Average in-state tuition: $336.50 per credit hour

Average out-of-state tuition: $336.50 per credit hour

Time to completion: Three to five years (depending on degree level)

Accreditation: Higher Learning Commission (HLC)

2. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville provides accelerated undergraduate degrees in several academic areas. This includes accelerated tracks for business administration, education, and public health.

For the business administration track, students can transfer up to 90 credit hours from other schools to account for the 120 credit hours for degree completion.

Average in-state tuition: $479 per credit hour

Average out-of-state tuition: $479 per credit hour

Time to completion: Three years

Accreditation: HLC

3. University of Illinois - Springfield

The University of Illinois - Springfield is one of at least three schools from the University of Illinois system to facilitate faster degree completion. This affordable public university lets you get a quicker degree thanks to eight-week sessions and its ''Dynamic Course Schedule.'' The unique course scheduler includes over 1,000 online courses in fields as diverse as accounting, healthcare management, information systems, human resource management, and other rewarding subjects.

Average in-state tuition: $367.50 per credit hour

Average out-of-state tuition: $367.50 per credit hour

Time to completion: Varies by program

Accreditation: HLC

4. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign grants many diverse fast-track degrees, including joint degrees and opportunities to enter law school sooner. Its ''3+3 Accelerated Law Program'' lets you shave a year off of undergraduate work before law school, or you could enter the public health field with both a bachelor's and master's degree within five years.

Average in-state tuition: $424 per credit hour

Average out-of-state tuition: $1,041 per credit hour

Time to completion: Five or six years (with graduate degrees)

Accreditation: HLC

5. University of Illinois - Chicago

The University of Illinois - Chicago also offers a six-year law degree program. You can also enroll here to earn accelerated degrees in business, public policy, bio-medical engineering, and other terrific fields.

This could be a bargain option as well if you major in nursing. The accelerated path for a Bachelor of Science in Nursing (BSN) costs just $330 per credit hour.

Average in-state tuition: $330 to $511 per credit hour

Average out-of-state tuition: $330 to $511 per credit hour

Time to completion: Three years

Accreditation: HLC

6. Illinois State University

Illinois State University has accelerated learning for five degrees in its Family and Consumer Sciences department. The concentration in food, nutrition, and dietetics prepares students for professional roles such as Registered Dietitian Nutritionist (RDN) after completing a BS degree in the field along with an online master's degree. Students can complete both undergraduate and graduate degrees within five years altogether.

Average in-state tuition: $321 per credit hour

Average out-of-state tuition: $553 per credit hour

Time to completion: Five years (multiple degrees)

Accreditation: HLC

7. Concordia University Chicago

Concordia University Chicago offers accelerated degree completion programs in six fields:

• accounting
• kinesiology
• healthcare administration
• human resource management
• organizational management
• sports management

It also furnishes separate dual-degree opportunities and ''3+1'' programs to obtain a bachelor's and master's degree together. According to its website, 100% of undergraduates receive institutional aid.

Average in-state tuition: $505 per credit hour

Average out-of-state tuition: $505 per credit hour

Time to completion: Three years

Accreditation: HLC

Other Accelerated Online Bachelor's Degrees in the U.S.

You can also explore many other accelerated bachelor's degree programs anywhere in the United States. The following schools serve online students with many online fast-track options and degree completion programs.

Capella University

Capella offers accelerated programs and convenient online courses for several academic fields. The online university's FlexPath system gives motivated students the chance to finish a bachelor's degree within 22 months or a master's degree within 15 months. It even allows students to customize their own ''Self-Designed MBA'' with 100% online coursework.

Average in-state tuition: $2,500 to $3,370 per 12-week session

Average out-of-state tuition: $2,500 to $3,370 per 12-week session

Time to completion: Varies by program

Accreditation: HLC

Liberty University

Liberty University offers several self-paced, fully online degree programs at every level of higher education. This includes multiple ''3+1'' accelerated degrees, designed to award the recipient with two degrees involving the same time commitment as traditional students earning one degree. Liberty offers competitive online tuition rates along with solid discounts for military veterans.

Average in-state tuition: $390 per credit hour

Average out-of-state tuition: $390 per credit hour

Time to completion: Three years

Accreditation: Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC)

Western Governors University

Western Governors University allows prospective computer programmers and similar professionals to jumpstart their careers faster thanks to its accelerated program in computer science. The university promotes it as ''two degrees, one program, big savings.'' You can save substantially by completing your computer science degree sooner since Western Governors charges by six-month terms rather than per credit � and students can enroll in as many classes as they want.

Average in-state tuition: $3,985 per six-month term

Average out-of-state tuition: $3,985 per six-month term

Time to completion: Four years (including graduate degree)

Accreditation: Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU)

How We Rank Schools

Our list includes accredited online bachelor's degrees exclusively. These rankings also consider program length, academic reputation, and tuition affordability.

• Accreditation: This list includes schools with official recognition for programs from respected accrediting boards.
• Program length: These programs should be faster to finish than traditional, on-campus degrees.
• Program reputation and quality: These rankings only consider high-quality institutions with dedicated faculty and strong student support services.
• Tuition cost: The best online learning options must be affordable or at least provide financial aid to offset tuition costs.

FAQs About the Fastest Bachelor's Degrees in Illinois

Check out the following frequently asked questions about higher education through online delivery in Illinois � these address program speed and affordability.

What Is the Quickest Way To Get a Bachelor's Degree in Illinois?

The quickest way to get a bachelor's degree is to pursue your education full-time through an accelerated program. You can also hasten your degree completion by taking advantage of college credits you've earned elsewhere (in high school, community college, etc.). We recommend finding out about transfer credit availability early in your college application process.

Are There Any One-Year Online Bachelor's Degrees in Illinois?

It may be possible to complete a one-year bachelor's degree online, but remember that this usually involves already having some college credit. It's always a great idea to finish general education credits as fast as possible at the lowest tuition rates. You can start this in high school by taking Advanced Placement (AP) courses or by testing out of subjects through the College-Level Examination Program (CLEP).

What Is the Cheapest Online Bachelor's Degree in Illinois?

The cheapest online bachelor's degree could be $0 if you know how to find affordable institutions and combine the lower tuition rates with scholarship awards. Some Illinois students also cancel out their costs by obtaining Pell Grants or state-based financial aid. You can do this for many online degree programs in Illinois, including the fast-track options.

Explore Online Bachelor's Degrees

Learn.org invites you to explore all our other resources related to online bachelor's degrees. We also publish numerous articles on online graduate programs in every academic subject and location in America.