100+ Best Universities in Illinois [2024 Rankings]

Top 100 universities in Illinois ranked by EduRank based on research outputs, non-academic prominence, and alumni influence. The rankings are determined by analyzing 36.4M citations received by 1.12M academic publications made by 100 universities from Illinois, the popularity of 5,209 recognized alumni, and the largest reference database available.

1. University of Chicago

Chicago

#15 in the United States

#16 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $36,991

2. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Champaign

#19 in the United States

#20 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1415
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 64%

3. Northwestern University

Evanston

#25 in the United States

#27 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1530
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $22,095

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

#61 in the United States

#65 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 27
Receiving Aid: 81%

5. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

#139 in the United States

#161 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1275
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $37,511

6. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

#164 in the United States

#189 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1315
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $28,702

7. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

#180 in the United States

#205 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $12,552
Enrollment: 15,649

8. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

#185 in the United States

#210 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1020
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 99%

9. DePaul University

Chicago

#195 in the United States

#221 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Average SAT: 1185
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $32,151

10. Illinois State University

Normal

#217 in the United States

#244 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

11. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

#329 in the United States

#366 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 98%
Average SAT: 1045
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 98%

12. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

#353 in the United States

#393 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1010
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $11,773

13. Western Illinois University

Macomb

#362 in the United States

#404 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $15,632
Enrollment: 7,643

14. Bradley University

Peoria

#392 in the United States

#437 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1165
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $24,053

15. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

#450 in the United States

#497 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 1,940
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1912

16. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

#456 in the United States

#503 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 1340
Average ACT: 31
Net Price: $29,961

17. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

#458 in the United States

#505 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 42%
Average SAT: 1225
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $30,096

18. Illinois College

Jacksonville

#477 in the United States

#525 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1043
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $16,296

19. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

#503 in the United States

#552 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1104
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 98%

20. Roosevelt University

Chicago

#508 in the United States

#557 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 88%
Average SAT: 960
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $22,117

21. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

#516 in the United States

#566 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Net Price: $53,923
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $18,290

22. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

#569 in the United States

#623 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 63%
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $15,143
Enrollment: 5,756

23. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

#647 in the United States

#705 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 30:70

24. Knox College

Galesburg

#667 in the United States

#729 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 73%
Average SAT: 1290
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $26,882

25. Chicago State University

Chicago

#669 in the United States

#731 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 49%
Receiving Aid: 93%
Average Aid: $15,891
Enrollment: 2,317

26. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

#673 in the United States

#735 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1110
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $24,108

27. Augustana College

Rock Island

#680 in the United States

#742 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,660

28. North Central College

Naperville

#718 in the United States

#782 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 61%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $25,285

29. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

#743 in the United States

#810 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 60%
Average SAT: 1247
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $27,839

30. Columbia College Chicago

Chicago

#751 in the United States

#818 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 95%
Net Price: $28,387
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $18,020

31. John Marshall Law School

Chicago

#758 in the United States

#825 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Founded: 1899

32. National Louis University

Chicago

#793 in the United States

#861 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 92%
Net Price: $14,769
Receiving Aid: 98%
Average Aid: $9,641

33. Governors State University

University Park

#806 in the United States

#874 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 57%
Average SAT: 945
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $11,987

34. DeVry University - Illinois

Chicago

#818 in the United States

#886 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 43%
Average SAT: 1075
Average ACT: 41
Net Price: $30,112

35. Rush University

Chicago

#831 in the United States

#899 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,870
Male:Female: 22:78
Founded: 1972

36. Dominican University

River Forest

#836 in the United States

#904 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1015
Average ACT: 19
Net Price: $18,162

37. Benedictine University

Lisle

#847 in the United States

#915 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $25,658
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $20,083

38. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

#860 in the United States

#928 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Net Price: $11,302
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $29,886

39. Lewis University

Romeoville

#921 in the United States

#989 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1105
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $19,184

40. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

#931 in the United States

#999 in North America

Net Price: $20,319
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $12,832
Enrollment: 242

41. Millikin University

Decatur

#944 in the United States

#1013 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1065
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $10,492

42. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

#971 in the United States

#1041 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 40
Male:Female: 77:23

43. Olivet Nazarene University

Bourbonnais

#983 in the United States

#1054 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Net Price: $20,059
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $29,708

44. National University of Health Sciences

Lombard

#989 in the United States

#1060 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Enrollment: 498
Male:Female: 39:61
Founded: 1906

45. North Park University

Chicago

#1017 in the United States

#1088 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $19,029
Receiving Aid: 100%

46. Greenville University

Greenville

#1116 in the United States

#1190 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 1009
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $20,718

47. Aurora University

Aurora

#1122 in the United States

#1196 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 82%
Average SAT: 1089
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $19,350

48. University of St Francis

Joliet

#1144 in the United States

#1219 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1135
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $18,560

49. Monmouth College

Monmouth

#1174 in the United States

#1250 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1110
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $20,237

50. Concordia University - Chicago

River Forest

#1202 in the United States

#1279 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 93%
Net Price: $18,832
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $25,141

51. Rockford University

Rockford

#1212 in the United States

#1289 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 963
Average ACT: 16
Net Price: $25,047

52. Trinity International University - Illinois

Deerfield

#1222 in the United States

#1299 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 91%
Average SAT: 1016
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $16,703

53. Judson University

Elgin

#1224 in the United States

#1301 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1025
Average ACT: 21
Net Price: $19,268

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	55	39
Missouri	67	38
Iowa	39	47
Kentucky	38	60
Wisconsin	47	13
Tennessee	56	50
Ohio	90	18
Michigan	62	3
Arkansas	24	127
West Virginia	26	112
Minnesota	48	14
Mississippi	18	133
Kansas	32	75
Alabama	33	84
Virginia	63	41
Georgia	63	44
North Carolina	65	24
Oklahoma	31	100
Nebraska	23	68
South Carolina	37	87
Pennsylvania	155	12
South Dakota	15	233
District of Columbia	15	56
Louisiana	27	79
Maryland	34	9
Delaware	5	90
New York	221	4
New Jersey	47	23
North Dakota	14	182
Connecticut	28	11
Texas	119	26
Vermont	17	109
Colorado	38	46
Massachusetts	88	1
Rhode Island	12	49
Florida	109	22
New Hampshire	16	77
Wyoming	1	141
New Mexico	12	81
Maine	19	152
Montana	12	153
Utah	20	40
Arizona	25	34
Idaho	10	148
Nevada	10	130
Oregon	31	63
Washington	57	8
California	249	2
Puerto Rico	52	373
US Virgin Islands	1	811
Alaska	6	181
Hawaii	10	160
American Samoa	1	1702
Northern Mariana Islands	1	1594
Guam	2	614

Closest to Illinois states