Why This Matters

  • 79 COLLEGES IN ILLINOIS

    According to College Navigator, Illinois has 12 public colleges, 61 private non-profit colleges, and six private for-profit colleges.

  • $14,670 AVERAGE IN-STATE TUITION & FEES

    College Board notes that the average in-state college student paid $14,670 in tuition at public Illinois colleges during the 2021-22 school year.

  • $14,800 FINANCIAL AID PER U.S. STUDENT

    The average full-time undergraduate student in the U.S. received $14,800 in financial aid during the 2020-21 school year.

Our Research

This list features some of the best brick-and-mortar schools in Illinois. Each school featured is a nonprofit, accredited institution — either public or private — with a high standard of academic quality for post-secondary institutions. We included liberal arts colleges and research universities as well as small, midsize, and large institutions. Next, we compared this comprehensive list to a list of aggregated college rankings from reputable publications like the U.S. News & World Report among others to simplify a student’s college search. We pored through these rankings so students don’t have to.

The colleges on our list are accredited by the Higher Learning Commission (HLC), a reputable organization that examines the objectives, quality, and overall effectiveness of education programs in the central United States.

We evaluated each school on tuition costs, admission, retention and graduation rates, faculty, and reputation as well as the student resources provided for on-campus students. Then we calculated the Intelligent Score on a scale of 0 to 100. Read more about our ranking methodology.

The Top 50 Colleges in Illinois

badges
01
Intelligent Pick
University of Chicago
01
Best Private Institution
Northwestern University
01
Best Public Institution
University of Illinois
01
Best Diversity Initiatives
University of Illinois Chicago
01
Best Technology Programs
Illinois Institute of Technology
01
Best Faith-based Institution
Loyola University Chicago
01
Best Scholarships
University of St. Francis
01
Best Alumni Network
DePaul University
01
Best for Veterans
Illinois State University
01
Best Student-to-Faculty Ratio
Wheaton College
01

Southern Illinois University
01

Principia College
01

Knox College
01

University of Illinois Springfield
01

Lake Forest College
01

Illinois Wesleyan University
01

Augustana College
01

Lewis University
01

Eastern Illinois University

 

What You Should Know About Graduating From College in Illinois

There are many considerations students should keep in mind when selecting a college. One factor that is often overlooked is the local job market. Before choosing a state in which to attend college, consider local employment opportunities. As of October 2021, the top five industries that employed the most people in Illinois were trade, transportation, and utilities; professional and business services; education and health services; goods-producing; and government.

For jobseekers with a bachelor’s degree, the five fastest-growing careers in Illinois are agents and talent managers, data scientists, logisticians, medical and health services managers, and actuaries.

To get a sense of the labor market in the state, here are some of the companies that made the list of largest employers in Illinois: Abbott Laboratories, Allstate Corporation, Deloitte, Unity Point Optimum Health, and the University of Illinois at Chicago.

What’s Next?

While researching colleges in Illinois, it’s important to consider financial aid. Below is a list of federal and state resources that offer grants, scholarships, and financial aid opportunities for undergraduate students in Illinois.

  • Illinois Student Assistance Commission. The Illinois Student Assistance Commission administers several scholarship, grant, prepaid tuition, and student loan repayment/forgiveness programs to support the post-secondary educational goals of Illinois students.
  • Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Federal Student Aid, a part of the U.S. Department of Education, provides more than $120 billion in financial aid each year to students attending college or career school. Student financial assistance programs provide funds in the form of grants, work-study, and loans. To learn if you’re eligible for aid, visit the FAFSA4caster. To apply, complete the online FAFSA form.
  • CareerOneStop. CareerOneStop, which is sponsored by the U.S. Department of Labor, offers information regarding scholarships, fellowships, grants, and other financial aid award opportunities available in each state. You can filter information by award type, degree level, and state.