40 Best colleges for Machine Learning 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 Machine Learning. A graph of 4.36M citations received by 86.9K academic papers made by 40 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 Machine Learning

#8 in the United States

#9 in North America

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

2. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#30 in the United States

#31 in North America

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

3. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Machine Learning

#34 in the United States

#37 in North America

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

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#48 in the United States

#55 in North America

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

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#144 in the United States

#170 in North America

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

6. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Machine Learning

#170 in the United States

#200 in North America

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

7. DePaul University

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#174 in the United States

#204 in North America

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

8. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Machine Learning

#180 in the United States

#210 in North America

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

9. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#192 in the United States

#223 in North America

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

10. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#196 in the United States

#227 in North America

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

11. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Machine Learning

#205 in the United States

#236 in North America

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

12. Illinois State University

Normal

For Machine Learning

#216 in the United States

#248 in North America

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

13. Bradley University

Peoria

For Machine Learning

#359 in the United States

#404 in North America

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

14. Rush University

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#370 in the United States

#416 in North America

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

15. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Machine Learning

#380 in the United States

#426 in North America

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

16. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Machine Learning

#392 in the United States

#439 in North America

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

17. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Machine Learning

#399 in the United States

#446 in North America

Enrollment: 80
Male:Female: 25:75

18. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Machine Learning

#433 in the United States

#485 in North America

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

19. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#455 in the United States

#508 in North America

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

20. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Machine Learning

#487 in the United States

#540 in North America

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

21. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Machine Learning

#531 in the United States

#584 in North America

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

22. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Machine Learning

#584 in the United States

#640 in North America

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

23. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#593 in the United States

#651 in North America

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

24. North Central College

Naperville

For Machine Learning

#600 in the United States

#659 in North America

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

25. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#675 in the United States

#737 in North America

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

26. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Machine Learning

#690 in the United States

#753 in North America

Net Price: $30,212
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $3,499
Enrollment: 263

27. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Machine Learning

#732 in the United States

#798 in North America

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

28. Knox College

Galesburg

For Machine Learning

#736 in the United States

#802 in North America

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

29. Lewis University

Romeoville

For Machine Learning

#762 in the United States

#828 in North America

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

30. Governors State University

University Park

For Machine Learning

#772 in the United States

#839 in North America

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

31. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#778 in the United States

#845 in North America

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

32. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Machine Learning

#803 in the United States

#871 in North America

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

33. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#904 in the United States

#975 in North America

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

34. Dominican University

River Forest

For Machine Learning

#907 in the United States

#978 in North America

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

35. National Louis University

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#922 in the United States

#993 in North America

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

36. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Machine Learning

#953 in the United States

#1025 in North America

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

37. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Machine Learning

#963 in the United States

#1035 in North America

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

38. Benedictine University

Lisle

For Machine Learning

#980 in the United States

#1053 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Net Price: $23,139
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $22,911

39. DeVry University - Illinois

Chicago

For Machine Learning

#997 in the United States

#1070 in North America

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

40. American InterContinental University

Schaumburg

For Machine Learning

#1013 in the United States

#1086 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $14,726
Receiving Aid: 75%
Average Aid: $7,671

Closest to Illinois states to learn Machine Learning

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	23	28
Missouri	20	47
Iowa	10	41
Kentucky	13	76
Wisconsin	23	13
Tennessee	25	51
Ohio	37	23
Michigan	24	4
Arkansas	13	154
West Virginia	7	113
Minnesota	22	12
Mississippi	8	136
Kansas	9	81
Alabama	17	86
Virginia	28	45
Georgia	28	25
North Carolina	27	21
Oklahoma	11	109
Nebraska	7	89
South Carolina	15	70
Pennsylvania	64	6
South Dakota	6	290
District of Columbia	8	95
Louisiana	17	91
Maryland	22	11
New York	95	10
New Jersey	19	20
North Dakota	4	165
Connecticut	19	24
Texas	59	22
Vermont	3	132
Colorado	14	57
Massachusetts	50	3
Rhode Island	7	52
Florida	35	33
New Hampshire	10	97
New Mexico	4	94
Maine	7	230
Montana	3	184
Utah	9	55
Arizona	6	26
Idaho	4	167
Nevada	3	157
Oregon	14	72
Washington	15	7
California	89	1
Puerto Rico	8	348
Alaska	3	257
Hawaii	4	152

Closest to Illinois states to learn Machine Learning

Computer Science subfields in Illinois