60 Best Business schools 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 Business. A graph of 7.59M citations received by 182K academic papers made by 60 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. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Champaign

For Business

#8 in the United States

#9 in North America

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

2. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Business

#11 in the United States

#12 in North America

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

3. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Business

#35 in the United States

#37 in North America

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

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Business

#49 in the United States

#57 in North America

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

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Business

#134 in the United States

#158 in North America

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

6. DePaul University

Chicago

For Business

#137 in the United States

#161 in North America

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

7. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Business

#143 in the United States

#167 in North America

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

8. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Business

#153 in the United States

#178 in North America

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

9. Illinois State University

Normal

For Business

#171 in the United States

#198 in North America

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

10. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Business

#176 in the United States

#204 in North America

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

11. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Business

#254 in the United States

#287 in North America

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

12. Bradley University

Peoria

For Business

#315 in the United States

#354 in North America

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

13. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Business

#349 in the United States

#389 in North America

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

14. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Business

#372 in the United States

#413 in North America

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

15. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Business

#377 in the United States

#419 in North America

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

16. Rush University

Chicago

For Business

#451 in the United States

#499 in North America

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

17. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Business

#483 in the United States

#531 in North America

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

18. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Business

#484 in the United States

#533 in North America

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

19. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Business

#501 in the United States

#550 in North America

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

20. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Business

#503 in the United States

#552 in North America

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

21. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Business

#517 in the United States

#566 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 32:68

22. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Business

#580 in the United States

#638 in North America

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

23. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Business

#624 in the United States

#683 in North America

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

24. North Central College

Naperville

For Business

#646 in the United States

#707 in North America

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

25. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Business

#647 in the United States

#708 in North America

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

26. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Business

#683 in the United States

#744 in North America

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

27. Governors State University

University Park

For Business

#688 in the United States

#749 in North America

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

28. John Marshall Law School

Chicago

For Business

#742 in the United States

#806 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Founded: 1899

29. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Business

#759 in the United States

#823 in North America

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

30. Knox College

Galesburg

For Business

#765 in the United States

#829 in North America

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

31. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Business

#772 in the United States

#836 in North America

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

32. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Business

#781 in the United States

#847 in North America

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

33. Dominican University

River Forest

For Business

#867 in the United States

#937 in North America

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

34. National Louis University

Chicago

For Business

#920 in the United States

#994 in North America

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

35. Lewis University

Romeoville

For Business

#929 in the United States

#1003 in North America

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

36. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Business

#987 in the United States

#1062 in North America

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

37. Millikin University

Decatur

For Business

#994 in the United States

#1069 in North America

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

38. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Business

#995 in the United States

#1070 in North America

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

39. DeVry University - Illinois

Chicago

For Business

#1002 in the United States

#1077 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Average SAT: 1060
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $31,063

40. Benedictine University

Lisle

For Business

#1013 in the United States

#1088 in North America

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

41. Monmouth College

Monmouth

For Business

#1017 in the United States

#1092 in North America

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

42. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Business

#1024 in the United States

#1099 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $20,319
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $12,832

43. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Business

#1027 in the United States

#1102 in North America

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

44. Erikson Institute

Chicago

For Business

#1034 in the United States

#1109 in North America

Enrollment: 368
Male:Female: 2:98

45. Aurora University

Aurora

For Business

#1046 in the United States

#1121 in North America

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

46. University of St Francis

Joliet

For Business

#1055 in the United States

#1130 in North America

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

47. Columbia College Chicago

Chicago

For Business

#1059 in the United States

#1134 in North America

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

48. Rockford University

Rockford

For Business

#1082 in the United States

#1157 in North America

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

49. Greenville University

Greenville

For Business

#1177 in the United States

#1253 in North America

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

50. McKendree University

Lebanon

For Business

#1188 in the United States

#1265 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 64%
Net Price: $25,200
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $22,269

51. North Park University

Chicago

For Business

#1232 in the United States

#1309 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Net Price: $19,910
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $22,779

52. Concordia University - Chicago

River Forest

For Business

#1259 in the United States

#1337 in North America

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

53. American InterContinental University

Schaumburg

For Business

#1262 in the United States

#1340 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $14,394
Receiving Aid: 83%
Average Aid: $6,547

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

Chicago

For Business

#1283 in the United States

#1361 in North America

Enrollment: 76
Male:Female: 47:53

55. Adler University

Chicago

For Business

#1286 in the United States

#1364 in North America

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

56. Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais

For Business

#1298 in the United States

#1376 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Average SAT: 1075
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $22,707

57. Saint Augustine College

Chicago

For Business

#1305 in the United States

#1383 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $17,008
Receiving Aid: 84%
Average Aid: $5,947

58. Quincy University

Quincy

For Business

#1308 in the United States

#1387 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 50%
Average SAT: 1160
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $17,424

59. Kendall College

Chicago

For Business

#1334 in the United States

#1414 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Net Price: $30,324
Receiving Aid: 69%
Average Aid: $7,984

60. Illinois College of Optometry

Chicago

For Business

#1376 in the United States

#1458 in North America

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

Closest to Illinois states to learn Business

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	30	30
Missouri	31	42
Iowa	24	44
Kentucky	23	68
Wisconsin	31	17
Tennessee	29	50
Ohio	54	21
Michigan	34	2
Arkansas	16	112
West Virginia	13	111
Minnesota	26	18
Mississippi	12	130
Kansas	11	88
Alabama	23	89
Virginia	39	36
Georgia	38	29
North Carolina	37	32
Oklahoma	16	92
Nebraska	11	81
South Carolina	24	59
Pennsylvania	96	6
South Dakota	8	361
District of Columbia	9	53
Louisiana	23	80
Maryland	26	15
Delaware	3	84
New York	122	7
New Jersey	25	27
North Dakota	6	202
Connecticut	20	19
Texas	70	16
Vermont	8	140
Colorado	19	55
Massachusetts	64	4
Rhode Island	9	93
Florida	48	28
New Hampshire	11	63
New Mexico	7	114
Maine	10	235
Montana	5	215
Utah	10	57
Arizona	8	24
Idaho	7	203
Nevada	5	120
Oregon	17	98
Washington	26	9
California	110	1
Puerto Rico	10	490
Alaska	4	325
Hawaii	6	124

Closest to Illinois states to learn Business

Business subfields in Illinois