35 Best colleges for Astrophysics and Astronomy in Illinois

Updated: March 02, 2025

Ranking by academic field

Below is a list of best universities in Illinois ranked based on their research performance in Astrophysics and Astronomy. A graph of 4.15M citations received by 82.3K academic papers made by 35 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 Chicago

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#10 in the United States

#10 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 5%
Average SAT: 1540
Average ACT: 35
Net Price: $27,979

2. University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

Champaign

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#18 in the United States

#19 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 44%
Average SAT: 1390
Average ACT: 32
Receiving Aid: 61%

3. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#30 in the United States

#32 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 7%
Average SAT: 1525
Average ACT: 34
Net Price: $23,341

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#71 in the United States

#81 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 79%
Average SAT: 1230
Average ACT: 29
Receiving Aid: 80%

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#172 in the United States

#199 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 55%
Average SAT: 1295
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $25,001

6. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#204 in the United States

#232 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1025
Average ACT: 24
Receiving Aid: 97%

7. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#217 in the United States

#245 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 99%
Average Aid: $13,565
Enrollment: 15,504

8. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#228 in the United States

#259 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 81%
Average SAT: 1250
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $37,592

9. DePaul University

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#266 in the United States

#302 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 74%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 29
Net Price: $32,129

10. Illinois State University

Normal

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#279 in the United States

#317 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 89%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 98%

11. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#327 in the United States

#369 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Average SAT: 1081
Average ACT: 22
Net Price: $17,255

12. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#352 in the United States

#397 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 97%
Average SAT: 1030
Average ACT: 23
Receiving Aid: 93%

13. Bradley University

Peoria

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#384 in the United States

#430 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Average SAT: 1195
Average ACT: 28
Net Price: $24,703

14. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#386 in the United States

#432 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1000
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $11,122

15. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#404 in the United States

#452 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 45%
Average SAT: 1235
Average ACT: 27
Net Price: $31,310

16. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#416 in the United States

#465 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 32:68

17. Rush University

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#446 in the United States

#496 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 2,782
Male:Female: 22:78
Founded: 1972

18. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#454 in the United States

#504 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 75%
Receiving Aid: 54%
Average Aid: $15,620
Enrollment: 7,073

19. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#471 in the United States

#523 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 33%
Enrollment: 1,949
Male:Female: 41:59
Founded: 1912

20. Saint Xavier University

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#484 in the United States

#536 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 86%
Net Price: $11,943
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $30,290

21. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#521 in the United States

#574 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Net Price: $55,485
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $18,872

22. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#532 in the United States

#585 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 84%
Average SAT: 1110
Average ACT: 25
Receiving Aid: 98%

23. Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#551 in the United States

#604 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 100%
Net Price: $20,319
Receiving Aid: 100%
Average Aid: $12,832

24. Lake Forest College

Lake Forest

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#557 in the United States

#610 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 59%
Average SAT: 1268
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $29,894

25. Knox College

Galesburg

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#559 in the United States

#612 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 71%
Average SAT: 1253
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $25,524

26. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#562 in the United States

#615 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 94%
Average SAT: 955
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $21,503

27. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#615 in the United States

#670 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Receiving Aid: 90%
Average Aid: $12,560
Enrollment: 5,504

28. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#659 in the United States

#718 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 90%
Average SAT: 1350
Average ACT: 30
Net Price: $31,346

29. North Central College

Naperville

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#785 in the United States

#849 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 58%
Average SAT: 1173
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,190

30. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#821 in the United States

#887 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 68%
Average SAT: 1130
Average ACT: 25
Net Price: $24,695

31. Illinois College of Optometry

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#868 in the United States

#934 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 70%
Enrollment: 483
Male:Female: 26:74
Founded: 1872

32. Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#875 in the United States

#943 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 10%
Enrollment: 38
Male:Female: 73:27

33. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#894 in the United States

#962 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 41%
Receiving Aid: 97%
Average Aid: $19,111
Enrollment: 2,324

34. Monmouth College

Monmouth

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#898 in the United States

#966 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 87%
Average SAT: 1120
Average ACT: 24
Net Price: $19,088

35. Benedictine University

Lisle

For Astrophysics and Astronomy

#915 in the United States

#983 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 77%
Net Price: $24,570
Receiving Aid: 94%
Average Aid: $21,484

Closest to Illinois states to learn Astrophysics and Astronomy

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	20	33
Missouri	16	45
Iowa	11	53
Kentucky	13	68
Wisconsin	21	19
Tennessee	20	63
Ohio	34	21
Michigan	21	8
Arkansas	9	142
West Virginia	5	108
Minnesota	21	28
Mississippi	7	164
Kansas	10	82
Alabama	16	91
Virginia	28	36
Georgia	25	32
North Carolina	24	47
Oklahoma	9	72
Nebraska	7	93
South Carolina	14	98
Pennsylvania	63	12
South Dakota	7	242
District of Columbia	8	101
Louisiana	17	64
Maryland	18	14
New York	85	9
New Jersey	18	6
North Dakota	3	206
Connecticut	18	22
Texas	53	15
Vermont	4	169
Colorado	14	20
Massachusetts	48	4
Rhode Island	6	51
Florida	28	29
New Hampshire	8	75
New Mexico	6	69
Maine	7	202
Montana	4	109
Utah	6	50
Arizona	5	7
Idaho	4	170
Oregon	14	74
Washington	16	11
California	73	1
Puerto Rico	6	306
Alaska	3	116
Hawaii	4	61