39 Best Surgeons Medical 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 Surgery. A graph of 6.04M citations received by 167K academic papers made by 39 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. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Surgery

#17 in the United States

#18 in North America

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

2. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Surgery

#29 in the United States

#31 in North America

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

3. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Surgery

#42 in the United States

#47 in North America

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

4. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Champaign

For Surgery

#84 in the United States

#97 in North America

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

5. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Surgery

#114 in the United States

#128 in North America

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

6. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Surgery

#118 in the United States

#132 in North America

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

7. Rush University

Chicago

For Surgery

#127 in the United States

#142 in North America

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

8. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Surgery

#130 in the United States

#145 in North America

Enrollment: 80
Male:Female: 25:75

9. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Surgery

#162 in the United States

#180 in North America

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

10. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Surgery

#265 in the United States

#291 in North America

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

11. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Surgery

#273 in the United States

#300 in North America

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

12. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Surgery

#302 in the United States

#331 in North America

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

13. Illinois State University

Normal

For Surgery

#310 in the United States

#341 in North America

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

14. DePaul University

Chicago

For Surgery

#348 in the United States

#383 in North America

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

15. Greenville University

Greenville

For Surgery

#356 in the United States

#391 in North America

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

16. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Surgery

#398 in the United States

#435 in North America

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

17. Blackburn College

Carlinville

For Surgery

#437 in the United States

#475 in North America

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

18. National University of Health Sciences

Lombard

For Surgery

#448 in the United States

#486 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 67%
Enrollment: 511
Male:Female: 36:64
Founded: 1906

19. Illinois College of Optometry

Chicago

For Surgery

#451 in the United States

#489 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 474
Male:Female: 26:74
Founded: 1872

20. Rockford University

Rockford

For Surgery

#477 in the United States

#515 in North America

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

21. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Surgery

#486 in the United States

#525 in North America

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

22. North Central College

Naperville

For Surgery

#499 in the United States

#540 in North America

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

23. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Surgery

#512 in the United States

#554 in North America

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

24. University of St Francis

Joliet

For Surgery

#565 in the United States

#610 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 65%
Average SAT: 1125
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $14,045

25. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Surgery

#587 in the United States

#634 in North America

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

26. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Surgery

#592 in the United States

#639 in North America

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

27. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Surgery

#604 in the United States

#653 in North America

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

28. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Surgery

#626 in the United States

#675 in North America

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

29. Bradley University

Peoria

For Surgery

#634 in the United States

#683 in North America

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

30. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Surgery

#651 in the United States

#700 in North America

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

31. Governors State University

University Park

For Surgery

#675 in the United States

#725 in North America

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

32. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Surgery

#703 in the United States

#756 in North America

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

33. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Surgery

#716 in the United States

#770 in North America

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

34. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Surgery

#728 in the United States

#784 in North America

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

35. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Surgery

#742 in the United States

#798 in North America

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

36. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Surgery

#812 in the United States

#870 in North America

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

37. Aurora University

Aurora

For Surgery

#816 in the United States

#874 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1025
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $19,053

38. Lewis University

Romeoville

For Surgery

#846 in the United States

#908 in North America

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

39. Spertus College

Chicago

For Surgery

#982 in the United States

#1049 in North America

Enrollment: 89
Male:Female: 38:62

Closest to Illinois states to learn Surgery

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	24	27
Missouri	25	14
Iowa	11	40
Kentucky	14	60
Wisconsin	20	28
Tennessee	25	49
Ohio	37	35
Michigan	25	5
Arkansas	10	71
West Virginia	11	90
Minnesota	17	3
Mississippi	7	99
Kansas	10	100
Alabama	17	26
Virginia	25	43
Georgia	24	16
North Carolina	27	23
Oklahoma	10	92
Nebraska	9	68
South Carolina	14	46
Pennsylvania	65	8
South Dakota	5	190
District of Columbia	8	56
Louisiana	13	72
Maryland	17	2
New York	92	12
New Jersey	17	54
North Dakota	6	199
Connecticut	16	13
Texas	56	10
Vermont	3	79
Colorado	14	34
Massachusetts	42	1
Rhode Island	5	51
Florida	36	24
New Hampshire	6	108
New Mexico	4	78
Maine	8	335
Utah	8	33
Arizona	7	52
Idaho	3	289
Nevada	4	158
Oregon	15	39
Washington	18	6
California	91	4
Puerto Rico	11	244
Hawaii	3	129