51 Best colleges for Neuroscience in Illinois

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Illinois ranked based on their research performance in Neuroscience. A graph of 6.21M citations received by 133K academic papers made by 51 universities in Illinois was used to calculate publications' ratings, which then were adjusted for release dates and added to final scores.

We don't distinguish between undergraduate and graduate programs nor do we adjust for current majors offered. You can find information about granted degrees on a university page but always double-check with the university website.

1. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Neuroscience

#18 in the United States

#21 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $23,341

2. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#33 in the United States

#36 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $27,979

3. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Champaign

For Neuroscience

#37 in the United States

#40 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1390
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 61%

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#47 in the United States

#52 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 80%

5. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#123 in the United States

#140 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1250
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $37,592

6. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Neuroscience

#148 in the United States

#170 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 1,949
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1912

7. Rush University

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#174 in the United States

#199 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,782
Male:Female: 22:78
Founded: 1972

8. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Neuroscience

#179 in the United States

#204 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1081
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $17,255

9. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Neuroscience

#191 in the United States

#216 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $13,565
Enrollment: 15,504

10. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Neuroscience

#213 in the United States

#241 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1025
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

11. Illinois State University

Normal

For Neuroscience

#217 in the United States

#245 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 98%

12. DePaul University

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#244 in the United States

#274 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $32,129

13. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#272 in the United States

#303 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1295
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $25,001

14. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Neuroscience

#274 in the United States

#306 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 32:68

15. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Neuroscience

#357 in the United States

#396 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1030
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 93%

16. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Neuroscience

#392 in the United States

#435 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1000
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $11,122

17. Bradley University

Peoria

For Neuroscience

#396 in the United States

#439 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $24,703

18. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Neuroscience

#419 in the United States

#462 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 54%
Average Aid: $15,620
Enrollment: 7,073

19. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Neuroscience

#460 in the United States

#504 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $31,310

20. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#505 in the United States

#554 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 955
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $21,503

21. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Neuroscience

#534 in the United States

#585 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1110
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 98%

22. Illinois College of Optometry

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#555 in the United States

#607 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 483
Male:Female: 26:74
Founded: 1872

23. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Neuroscience

#572 in the United States

#625 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,346

24. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#586 in the United States

#639 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $19,111
Enrollment: 2,324

25. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#596 in the United States

#649 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $12,560
Enrollment: 5,504

26. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Neuroscience

#631 in the United States

#686 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $22,760

27. Governors State University

University Park

For Neuroscience

#746 in the United States

#804 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $11,315
Enrollment: 4,337

28. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Neuroscience

#763 in the United States

#821 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1268
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $29,894

29. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#794 in the United States

#852 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 38
Male:Female: 73:27

30. North Central College

Naperville

For Neuroscience

#795 in the United States

#853 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1173
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,190

31. National University of Health Sciences

Lombard

For Neuroscience

#812 in the United States

#873 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Enrollment: 513
Male:Female: 38:62
Founded: 1906

32. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#834 in the United States

#896 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Net Price: $55,485
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $18,872

33. Rockford University

Rockford

For Neuroscience

#835 in the United States

#897 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 960
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $24,098

34. Knox College

Galesburg

For Neuroscience

#845 in the United States

#908 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1253
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $25,524

35. Adler University

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#915 in the United States

#982 in North America

Enrollment: 1,674
Male:Female: 18:82
Founded: 1952

36. National Louis University

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#926 in the United States

#993 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $15,724
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $9,722

37. Lewis University

Romeoville

For Neuroscience

#929 in the United States

#996 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $19,472

38. Dominican University

River Forest

For Neuroscience

#943 in the United States

#1011 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Average SAT: 1037
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $16,969

39. Millikin University

Decatur

For Neuroscience

#970 in the United States

#1038 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 54%
Average SAT: 1015
Average ACT: 19
Net Price: $10,078

40. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Neuroscience

#976 in the United States

#1044 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,695

41. Bexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary Federation, Inc.

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#987 in the United States

#1055 in North America

Enrollment: 76
Male:Female: 47:53

42. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Neuroscience

#994 in the United States

#1062 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 80%
Net Price: $21,349
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $15,613

43. Aurora University

Aurora

For Neuroscience

#996 in the United States

#1064 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 85%
Average SAT: 1032
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $19,220

44. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#1003 in the United States

#1071 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Net Price: $11,943
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $30,290

45. Columbia College Chicago

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#1010 in the United States

#1078 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Net Price: $29,790
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $20,851

46. Monmouth College

Monmouth

For Neuroscience

#1014 in the United States

#1082 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $19,088

47. University of St Francis

Joliet

For Neuroscience

#1017 in the United States

#1085 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Average SAT: 1035
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $16,455

48. Erikson Institute

Chicago

For Neuroscience

#1062 in the United States

#1133 in North America

Enrollment: 368
Male:Female: 2:98

49. Greenville University

Greenville

For Neuroscience

#1083 in the United States

#1155 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Average SAT: 1015
Average ACT: 19
Net Price: $21,442

50. Concordia University - Chicago

River Forest

For Neuroscience

#1120 in the United States

#1193 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $17,767
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $26,680

51. Benedictine University

Lisle

For Neuroscience

#1122 in the United States

#1195 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $24,570
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $21,484

Closest to Illinois states to learn Neuroscience

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	25	55
Missouri	24	13
Iowa	14	27
Kentucky	18	53
Wisconsin	25	16
Tennessee	26	38
Ohio	44	34
Michigan	23	8
Arkansas	11	111
West Virginia	11	108
Minnesota	23	21
Mississippi	9	133
Kansas	9	98
Alabama	21	52
Virginia	31	42
Georgia	31	17
North Carolina	30	23
Oklahoma	13	124
Nebraska	8	112
South Carolina	18	63
Pennsylvania	74	6
South Dakota	7	222
District of Columbia	8	68
Louisiana	18	91
Maryland	22	2
New York	105	10
New Jersey	21	30
North Dakota	4	189
Connecticut	19	4
Texas	59	29
Vermont	5	106
Colorado	17	66
Massachusetts	55	1
Rhode Island	9	51
Florida	34	26
New Hampshire	11	80
New Mexico	5	87
Maine	9	252
Montana	3	214
Utah	7	45
Arizona	7	48
Idaho	4	264
Nevada	4	140
Oregon	16	40
Washington	19	11
California	97	3
Puerto Rico	12	347
Hawaii	4	157

Closest to Illinois states to learn Neuroscience

Biology subfields in Illinois