24 Best Theology / Divinity / Religious studies schools in Chicago, IL

Updated: March 15, 2026

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Chicago ranked based on their research performance in Theology / Divinity / Religious studies. A graph of 404K citations received by 19.9K academic papers made by 24 universities in Chicago 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 Chicago

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#6 in the United States

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

2. University of Illinois at Chicago

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#64 in the United States

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

3. Loyola University Chicago

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#83 in the United States

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

4. DePaul University

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#106 in the United States

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

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#11 in Illinois

#293 in the United States

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

6. Catholic Theological Union at Chicago

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#23 in Illinois

#600 in the United States

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

7. Roosevelt University

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#24 in Illinois

#623 in the United States

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

8. Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#25 in Illinois

#624 in the United States

Enrollment: 101
Male:Female: 46:54

9. Northeastern Illinois University

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#27 in Illinois

#646 in the United States

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

10. Rush University

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#28 in Illinois

#670 in the United States

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

11. North Park University

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#29 in Illinois

#687 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 69%
Net Price: $20,372
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $24,476

12. Saint Xavier University

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#30 in Illinois

#690 in the United States

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

13. John Marshall Law School

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#31 in Illinois

#708 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 52%
Founded: 1899

14. McCormick Theological Seminary

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#34 in Illinois

#745 in the United States

Enrollment: 125
Male:Female: 55:45

15. National Louis University

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#35 in Illinois

#767 in the United States

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

16. Chicago Theological Seminary

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#38 in Illinois

#847 in the United States

Enrollment: 215
Male:Female: 46:54

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

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#40 in Illinois

#870 in the United States

Enrollment: 80
Male:Female: 41:59

18. Saint Augustine College

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#42 in Illinois

#897 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $8,310
Receiving Aid: 89%
Average Aid: $14,748

19. Chicago State University

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#44 in Illinois

#928 in the United States

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

20. Columbia College Chicago

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#47 in Illinois

#1003 in the United States

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

21. Moody Bible Institute

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#48 in Illinois

#1009 in the United States

Acceptance Rate: 83%
Net Price: $21,614
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $12,742

22. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#50 in Illinois

#1015 in the United States

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

23. Spertus College

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#52 in Illinois

#1098 in the United States

Enrollment: 89
Male:Female: 38:62

24. Meadville Lombard Theological School

For Theology / Divinity / Religious studies

#54 in Illinois

#1112 in the United States

Enrollment: 62
Male:Female: 40:60

Universities for Theology / Divinity / Religious studies near Chicago

Distance, km 📏 km	University	Country rank 🏆	City
19	Northwestern University	41	Evanston, Illinois
20	Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary	450	Evanston, Illinois
35	Purdue University Northwest	599	Hammond, Indiana
39	Wheaton College - Illinois	186	Wheaton, Illinois
44	Lake Forest College	573	Lake Forest, Illinois
50	Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science	636	North Chicago, Illinois
68	Valparaiso University	301	Valparaiso, Indiana
94	Northern Illinois University	148	DeKalb, Illinois
106	Andrews University	192	Berrien Springs, Michigan
117	University of Notre Dame	25	Notre Dame, Indiana

Liberal Arts & Social Sciences subfields in Chicago

Broadcast Journalism5

Classics and Ancient History15

Communications and Public Relations12

Criminology and Criminal Justice8

Early Childhood Education7

Education Majors16

Gender Studies11

Human Rights Law6

Intellectual Property and Patent Law6

International Law6

International Relations and Diplomacy4

Journalism and Digital Media5

Law Enforcement6

Library and Information science18

Military science5

Negotiation and Conflict Resolution5

Occupational Safety and Health5

Political Economy7

Political Science31

Public Policy / Administration8

Special Education7

Sports / Exercise science6