Best Colleges in Illinois
Enjoy a Fresh Wind of New Horizons
Learning in the Land of Lincoln
Moving to Illinois means learning a whole new accent. But, the education options in the Prairie State make it worth it. Some pretty impactful politicians have called Illinois home, including Abraham Lincoln and Barack Obama, making it an inspiring place for any political science or history major. And the Chicago skyline is packed with job opportunities for business majors at one of the countless banking and finance companies. Nine four-year institutions and over 100 smaller colleges and universities reside in Illinois.* After graduation, explore plenty of out-of-the-box employment options including Fannie Mae, CareerBuilder, and Black Dog Books.
During your downtime, take in some history at the Lincoln Presidential Library & Museum, or cruise on down the scenic byway of Route 66.* Just need a few hours to relax? Check out Harry’s Sports Grill in Countryside with its live music, trivia nights and recreational games like darts and billiards. For something a bit fancier, enjoy a glass of wine at D.O.C. Wine Bar, just outside of Chicago. Visit Shedd Aquarium, one of the best in the nation, for some underwater learning, or get some good eats in Chinatown. Or proudly wear your black and red when you cheer on the Blackhawks or the Bulls. Come explore Illinois with its perfect combination of open prairie and bustling city life. You’ll be blown away.
*Wikipedia, “Colleges and universities in Illinois” *www.enjoyillinois.com/thingstodo
Best Four Year Universities in Illinois
| Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago | Chicago, IL |
University of Chicago offers 250 Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 5,136 students graduated with students earning 2,698 Master's degrees, 1,743 Bachelor's degrees, 695 Doctoral degrees. | Based on 28 Reviews |
Read more: University of Chicago Reviews
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| 2 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL |
Northwestern University offers 722 Degree programs. It's a large private university in a small city. In 2015, 10,145 students graduated with students earning 5,495 Master's degrees, 3,034 Bachelor's degrees, 1,090 Doctoral degrees, and 526 Certificates degrees. | Based on 40 Reviews |
Read more: Northwestern University Reviews
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| 3 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL |
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers 436 Degree programs. It's a large public university in a small city. In 2015, 14,091 students graduated with students earning 9,498 Bachelor's degrees, 3,400 Master's degrees, 1,181 Doctoral degrees, and 12 Certificates degrees. | Based on 104 Reviews | ||
| 4 | Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL |
Illinois Institute of Technology offers 137 Degree programs. It's a medium sized private university in a large city. In 2015, 2,624 students graduated with students earning 1,634 Master's degrees, 622 Bachelor's degrees, and 368 Doctoral degrees. | Based on 12 Reviews |
Read more: Illinois Institute of Technology Reviews
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| 5 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL |
Loyola University Chicago offers 529 Degree programs. It's a large private university in a large city. In 2015, 5,565 students graduated with students earning 2,711 Bachelor's degrees, 1,851 Master's degrees, 553 Doctoral degrees, and 450 Certificates degrees. | Based on 16 Reviews |
Read more: Loyola University Chicago Reviews
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| 6 | Wheaton College | Wheaton, IL |
Wheaton College offers 109 Degree programs. It's a small private university in a large suburb. In 2015, 958 students graduated with students earning 759 Bachelor's degrees, 171 Master's degrees, 27 Doctoral degrees, and 1 Certificates degree. | Based on 32 Reviews |
Read more: Wheaton College Reviews
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| 7 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL |
Bradley University offers 320 Degree programs. It's a medium sized private university in a mid sized city. In 2015, 1,624 students graduated with students earning 1,277 Bachelor's degrees, 285 Master's degrees, 48 Doctoral degrees, and 14 Certificates degrees. | Based on 12 Reviews |
Read more: Bradley University Reviews
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| 8 | University of Illinois at Chicago | Chicago, IL |
University of Illinois at Chicago offers 306 Degree programs. It's a large public university in a large city. In 2015, 7,357 students graduated with students earning 3,940 Bachelor's degrees, 2,287 Master's degrees, 1,061 Doctoral degrees, and 69 Certificates degrees. | Based on 44 Reviews |
Read more: University of Illinois at Chicago Reviews
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| 9 | Lewis University | Romeoville, IL |
Lewis University offers 241 Degree programs. It's a medium sized private university in a large suburb. In 2015, 1,881 students graduated with students earning 1,266 Bachelor's degrees, 595 Master's degrees, 16 Certificates degrees, 2 Associate's degrees, and 2 Doctoral degrees. | Based on 4 Reviews |
Read more: Lewis University Reviews
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| 10 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL |
Northern Illinois University offers 157 Degree programs. It's a large public university in a small suburb. In 2015, 5,256 students graduated with students earning 3,507 Bachelor's degrees, 1,435 Master's degrees, 297 Doctoral degrees, and 17 Certificates degrees. | Based on 56 Reviews |
Read more: Northern Illinois University Reviews
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Best Community Colleges in Illinois
| Rank | School Name | Location | Description | Rating | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Rend Lake College | Ina, IL |
Rend Lake College offers 101 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a far away rural. In 2015, 1,716 students graduated with students earning 1,032 Certificates degrees, and 684 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Rend Lake College Reviews
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| 2 | Frontier Community College | Fairfield, IL |
Frontier Community College offers 55 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a remote town. In 2015, 529 students graduated with students earning 424 Certificates degrees, and 105 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Frontier Community College Reviews
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| 3 | Elgin Community College | Elgin, IL |
Elgin Community College offers 105 Degree programs. It's a large public college in a mid sized city. In 2015, 3,112 students graduated with students earning 1,890 Certificates degrees, and 1,222 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Elgin Community College Reviews
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| 4 | Wabash Valley College | Mount Carmel, IL |
Wabash Valley College offers 58 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a far away town. In 2015, 340 students graduated with students earning 213 Associate's degrees, and 127 Certificates degrees. |
Read more: Wabash Valley College Reviews
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| 5 | William Rainey Harper College | Palatine, IL |
William Rainey Harper College offers 142 Degree programs. It's a large public college in a large suburb. In 2015, 4,751 students graduated with students earning 3,096 Certificates degrees, and 1,655 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: William Rainey Harper College Reviews
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| 6 | Kaskaskia College | Centralia, IL |
Kaskaskia College offers 118 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public college in a outlying rural. In 2015, 2,186 students graduated with students earning 1,508 Certificates degrees, and 678 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Kaskaskia College Reviews
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| 7 | John Wood Community College | Quincy, IL |
John Wood Community College offers 68 Degree programs. It's a small public college in a outlying rural. In 2015, 681 students graduated with students earning 359 Certificates degrees, and 322 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: John Wood Community College Reviews
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| 8 | Lake Land College | Mattoon, IL |
Lake Land College offers 105 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public college in a far away town. In 2015, 3,304 students graduated with students earning 2,333 Certificates degrees, and 971 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Lake Land College Reviews
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| 9 | Lincoln Land Community College | Springfield, IL |
Lincoln Land Community College offers 96 Degree programs. It's a medium sized public college in a mid sized city. In 2015, 2,450 students graduated with students earning 1,373 Certificates degrees, and 1,077 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Lincoln Land Community College Reviews
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| 10 | Parkland College | Champaign, IL |
Parkland College offers 131 Degree programs. It's a large public college in a small city. In 2015, 1,788 students graduated with students earning 985 Certificates degrees, and 803 Associate's degrees. |
Read more: Parkland College Reviews
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List of all Colleges in Illinois
| School Logo | School Name | Average tuition | Student Teacher Ratio | Enrolled Students |
|---|---|---|---|---|
|
University of Chicago Chicago, IL |
5/5
|
7 : 1 | 15,391 |
|
Northwestern University Evanston, IL |
5/5
|
10 : 1 | 21,655 |
|
University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL |
4/5
|
20 : 1 | 45,842 |
|
|
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL |
5/5
|
20 : 1 | 7,792 |
|
Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL |
5/5
|
15 : 1 | 16,437 |
|
|
Wheaton College Wheaton, IL |
5/5
|
13 : 1 | 2,929 |
|
|
Bradley University Peoria, IL |
5/5
|
14 : 1 | 5,338 |
|
|
University of Illinois at Chicago Chicago, IL |
3/5
|
14 : 1 | 29,048 |
|
|
Lewis University Romeoville, IL |
5/5
|
19 : 1 | 6,679 |
|
|
Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL |
3/5
|
22 : 1 | 20,130 |
|
Elmhurst College Elmhurst, IL |
5/5
|
15 : 1 | 3,298 |
|
Concordia University-Chicago River Forest, IL |
5/5
|
17 : 1 | 5,239 |
|
Saint Xavier University Chicago, IL |
5/5
|
17 : 1 | 3,949 |
|
University of St Francis Joliet, IL |
5/5
|
21 : 1 | 3,957 |
|
McKendree University Lebanon, IL |
5/5
|
19 : 1 | 3,001 |
|
Millikin University Decatur, IL |
5/5
|
13 : 1 | 2,152 |
|
North Park University Chicago, IL |
5/5
|
15 : 1 | 3,159 |
|
University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL |
3/5
|
22 : 1 | 5,402 |
|
Aurora University Aurora, IL |
4/5
|
21 : 1 | 5,423 |
|
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL |
3/5
|
21 : 1 | 14,265 |
|
Dominican University River Forest, IL |
5/5
|
15 : 1 | 3,696 |
|
Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL |
5/5
|
11 : 1 | 1,842 |
|
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago, IL |
5/5
|
10 : 1 | 3,591 |
|
Eastern Illinois University Charleston, IL |
3/5
|
17 : 1 | 8,520 |
|
Roosevelt University Chicago, IL |
5/5
|
15 : 1 | 5,352 |