30 Best colleges for Nuclear Physics 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 Nuclear Physics. A graph of 3.17M citations received by 66.4K academic papers made by 30 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 Nuclear Physics

#13 in the United States

#13 in North America

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

2. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#19 in the United States

#19 in North America

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

3. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Nuclear Physics

#31 in the United States

#32 in North America

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

4. University of Illinois at Chicago

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#76 in the United States

#86 in North America

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

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#142 in the United States

#164 in North America

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

6. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Nuclear Physics

#143 in the United States

#166 in North America

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

7. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Nuclear Physics

#188 in the United States

#214 in North America

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

8. Illinois State University

Normal

For Nuclear Physics

#225 in the United States

#256 in North America

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

9. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#250 in the United States

#284 in North America

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

10. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#284 in the United States

#321 in North America

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

11. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Nuclear Physics

#342 in the United States

#385 in North America

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

12. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Nuclear Physics

#353 in the United States

#398 in North America

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

13. Rush University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#369 in the United States

#414 in North America

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

14. DePaul University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#387 in the United States

#433 in North America

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

15. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Nuclear Physics

#414 in the United States

#463 in North America

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

16. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#461 in the United States

#511 in North America

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

17. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#465 in the United States

#515 in North America

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

18. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Nuclear Physics

#475 in the United States

#525 in North America

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

19. Knox College

Galesburg

For Nuclear Physics

#481 in the United States

#531 in North America

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

20. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Nuclear Physics

#554 in the United States

#608 in North America

Enrollment: 80
Male:Female: 25:75

21. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#575 in the United States

#629 in North America

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

22. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Nuclear Physics

#595 in the United States

#649 in North America

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

23. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Nuclear Physics

#599 in the United States

#653 in North America

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

24. North Central College

Naperville

For Nuclear Physics

#601 in the United States

#655 in North America

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

25. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#603 in the United States

#657 in North America

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

26. Benedictine University

Lisle

For Nuclear Physics

#604 in the United States

#658 in North America

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

27. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Nuclear Physics

#609 in the United States

#663 in North America

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

28. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Nuclear Physics

#620 in the United States

#674 in North America

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

29. Bradley University

Peoria

For Nuclear Physics

#625 in the United States

#680 in North America

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

30. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Nuclear Physics

#639 in the United States

#694 in North America

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

Closest to Illinois states to learn Nuclear Physics

State	Universities Unis	Best university country rank Best uni rank
Indiana	14	28
Missouri	10	56
Iowa	8	43
Kentucky	8	72
Wisconsin	12	10
Tennessee	15	36
Ohio	30	21
Michigan	19	9
Arkansas	6	141
Minnesota	12	18
Mississippi	5	167
Kansas	5	85
Alabama	10	94
Virginia	19	50
Georgia	14	38
North Carolina	18	33
Oklahoma	7	108
Nebraska	6	77
South Carolina	8	91
Pennsylvania	33	22
South Dakota	6	274
District of Columbia	7	92
Louisiana	12	73
Maryland	14	8
New York	69	11
New Jersey	13	4
North Dakota	2	196
Connecticut	11	20
Texas	42	15
Vermont	4	162
Colorado	12	24
Massachusetts	27	1
Rhode Island	3	67
Florida	24	29
New Hampshire	3	80
New Mexico	5	63
Maine	5	189
Montana	3	127
Utah	5	42
Arizona	4	30
Idaho	3	119
Oregon	9	81
Washington	12	12
California	51	2
Puerto Rico	5	229
Hawaii	2	109