44 Best colleges for Library and Information science 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 Library and Information science. A graph of 1.08M citations received by 45.4K academic papers made by 44 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 Library and Information science

#9 in the United States

#10 in North America

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

2. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#17 in the United States

#18 in North America

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

3. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Library and Information science

#22 in the United States

#23 in North America

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

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#50 in the United States

#54 in North America

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

5. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#133 in the United States

#152 in North America

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

6. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Library and Information science

#144 in the United States

#165 in North America

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

7. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Library and Information science

#164 in the United States

#185 in North America

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

8. DePaul University

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#180 in the United States

#203 in North America

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

9. Illinois State University

Normal

For Library and Information science

#223 in the United States

#247 in North America

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

10. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#230 in the United States

#254 in North America

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

11. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Library and Information science

#314 in the United States

#344 in North America

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

12. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Library and Information science

#350 in the United States

#383 in North America

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

13. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Library and Information science

#368 in the United States

#403 in North America

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

14. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Library and Information science

#389 in the United States

#425 in North America

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

15. Rush University

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#404 in the United States

#442 in North America

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

16. Bradley University

Peoria

For Library and Information science

#424 in the United States

#463 in North America

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

17. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Library and Information science

#438 in the United States

#477 in North America

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

18. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Library and Information science

#442 in the United States

#481 in North America

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

19. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Library and Information science

#456 in the United States

#496 in North America

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

20. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Library and Information science

#470 in the United States

#510 in North America

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

21. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#540 in the United States

#584 in North America

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

22. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Library and Information science

#580 in the United States

#627 in North America

Enrollment: 80
Male:Female: 25:75

23. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#583 in the United States

#630 in North America

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

24. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Library and Information science

#599 in the United States

#646 in North America

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

25. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#607 in the United States

#655 in North America

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

26. Greenville University

Greenville

For Library and Information science

#609 in the United States

#657 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1001
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $20,799

27. North Central College

Naperville

For Library and Information science

#618 in the United States

#667 in North America

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

28. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Library and Information science

#635 in the United States

#686 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Average SAT: 1150
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,714

29. Governors State University

University Park

For Library and Information science

#636 in the United States

#687 in North America

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

30. Knox College

Galesburg

For Library and Information science

#672 in the United States

#725 in North America

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

31. Dominican University

River Forest

For Library and Information science

#683 in the United States

#736 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 990
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $13,402

32. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#723 in the United States

#777 in North America

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

33. Catholic Theological Union at Chicago

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#787 in the United States

#848 in North America

Enrollment: 210
Male:Female: 64:36
Founded: 1968

34. Monmouth College

Monmouth

For Library and Information science

#813 in the United States

#875 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $17,768

35. Columbia College Chicago

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#823 in the United States

#885 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Net Price: $29,473
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $22,780

36. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Library and Information science

#826 in the United States

#889 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Net Price: $18,460
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $19,456

37. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Library and Information science

#846 in the United States

#910 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1125
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $24,629

38. National Louis University

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#854 in the United States

#919 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Net Price: $13,150
Receiving Aid: 87%
Average Aid: $11,056

39. John Marshall Law School

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#859 in the United States

#924 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Founded: 1899

40. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#897 in the United States

#962 in North America

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

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

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#912 in the United States

#977 in North America

Enrollment: 80
Male:Female: 41:59

42. Rockford University

Rockford

For Library and Information science

#925 in the United States

#990 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Average SAT: 960
Average ACT: 20
Net Price: $23,642

43. Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#926 in the United States

#991 in North America

Enrollment: 101
Male:Female: 46:54

44. McCormick Theological Seminary

Chicago

For Library and Information science

#951 in the United States

#1016 in North America

Enrollment: 125
Male:Female: 55:45

Closest to Illinois states to learn Library and Information science

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	21	32
Missouri	20	39
Iowa	9	48
Kentucky	14	61
Wisconsin	20	10
Tennessee	22	51
Ohio	38	24
Michigan	24	4
Arkansas	8	125
West Virginia	3	151
Minnesota	21	12
Mississippi	7	134
Kansas	8	59
Alabama	14	68
Virginia	30	38
Georgia	21	56
North Carolina	26	36
Oklahoma	8	107
Nebraska	9	98
South Carolina	14	83
Pennsylvania	61	13
South Dakota	4	333
District of Columbia	8	63
Louisiana	16	87
Maryland	20	18
New York	99	8
New Jersey	20	21
North Dakota	2	188
Connecticut	17	11
Texas	53	16
Vermont	5	108
Colorado	14	54
Massachusetts	51	3
Rhode Island	7	92
Florida	32	28
New Hampshire	9	91
New Mexico	5	95
Maine	7	206
Montana	3	169
Utah	6	40
Arizona	6	30
Idaho	3	189
Oregon	14	57
Washington	16	6
California	78	1
Puerto Rico	4	552
Hawaii	3	122

Closest to Illinois states to learn Library and Information science

Computer Science subfields in Illinois