34 Best Cyber Security schools in Illinois

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Illinois ranked based on their research performance in Cyber Security. A graph of 1.65M citations received by 39.4K academic papers made by 34 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 Cyber Security

#10 in the United States

#11 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 64%

2. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#30 in the United States

#33 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 4%
Average SAT: 1545
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $28,060

3. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Cyber Security

#42 in the United States

#45 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 8%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $26,830

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#50 in the United States

#58 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1240
Average ACT: 28
Receiving Aid: 80%

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#89 in the United States

#103 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $24,796

6. DePaul University

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#153 in the United States

#180 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $34,135

7. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#184 in the United States

#213 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1265
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $39,147

8. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Cyber Security

#198 in the United States

#229 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1030
Average ACT: 22
Receiving Aid: 98%

9. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Cyber Security

#207 in the United States

#240 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $14,387
Enrollment: 15,414

10. Illinois State University

Normal

For Cyber Security

#241 in the United States

#275 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1100
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

11. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Cyber Security

#296 in the United States

#333 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Receiving Aid: 55%
Average Aid: $14,994
Enrollment: 6,332

12. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Cyber Security

#345 in the United States

#388 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 78%
Average SAT: 1032
Average ACT: 23
Net Price: $17,375

13. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#352 in the United States

#396 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 39
Male:Female: 76:24

14. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Cyber Security

#355 in the United States

#399 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1070
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 95%

15. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Cyber Security

#398 in the United States

#445 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 985
Receiving Aid: 96%
Average Aid: $12,960

16. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Cyber Security

#400 in the United States

#447 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1070
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

17. Bradley University

Peoria

For Cyber Security

#415 in the United States

#464 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $23,787
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $30,808

18. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Cyber Security

#471 in the United States

#524 in North America

Enrollment: 80
Male:Female: 25:75

19. Rush University

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#504 in the United States

#558 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,769
Male:Female: 21:79
Founded: 1972

20. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#542 in the United States

#598 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $18,194
Enrollment: 2,238

21. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Cyber Security

#575 in the United States

#633 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,021
Male:Female: 39:61
Founded: 1912

22. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#578 in the United States

#636 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $12,876
Enrollment: 5,734

23. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#630 in the United States

#691 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Net Price: $11,318
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $31,985

24. Knox College

Galesburg

For Cyber Security

#642 in the United States

#704 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1310
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $25,709

25. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Cyber Security

#646 in the United States

#709 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 39%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $28,644

26. Lewis University

Romeoville

For Cyber Security

#659 in the United States

#722 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $18,959

27. Governors State University

University Park

For Cyber Security

#668 in the United States

#733 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 48%
Receiving Aid: 88%
Average Aid: $11,455
Enrollment: 4,397

28. John Marshall Law School

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#681 in the United States

#746 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Founded: 1899

29. North Central College

Naperville

For Cyber Security

#700 in the United States

#766 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1183
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $23,276

30. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#701 in the United States

#767 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1035
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $22,366

31. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#707 in the United States

#773 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $55,631
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $20,050

32. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Cyber Security

#726 in the United States

#793 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1365
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,356

33. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Cyber Security

#808 in the United States

#880 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 1292
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,225

34. DeVry University - Illinois

Chicago

For Cyber Security

#822 in the United States

#894 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Average SAT: 865
Average ACT: 15
Net Price: $30,889

Closest to Illinois states to learn Cyber Security

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	18	18
Missouri	16	48
Iowa	5	49
Kentucky	10	74
Wisconsin	18	23
Tennessee	18	72
Ohio	30	29
Michigan	20	6
Arkansas	8	151
West Virginia	5	99
Minnesota	18	27
Mississippi	6	129
Kansas	9	106
Alabama	14	101
Virginia	21	35
Georgia	22	5
North Carolina	20	37
Oklahoma	11	123
Nebraska	7	86
South Carolina	10	84
Pennsylvania	52	4
South Dakota	4	225
District of Columbia	7	56
Louisiana	14	107
Maryland	19	7
New York	88	8
New Jersey	19	13
North Dakota	2	162
Connecticut	17	24
Texas	54	17
Vermont	5	182
Colorado	12	51
Massachusetts	42	3
Rhode Island	6	67
Florida	28	25
New Hampshire	7	68
New Mexico	4	98
Maine	6	233
Montana	3	216
Utah	6	58
Arizona	5	31
Idaho	3	159
Oregon	11	83
Washington	16	11
California	69	1
Puerto Rico	3	390

Closest to Illinois states to learn Cyber Security

Computer Science subfields in Illinois