30 Best colleges for Nuclear Physics 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 Nuclear Physics. A graph of 3.07M citations received by 65.6K 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

#12 in the United States

#12 in North America

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

2. University of Chicago

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#19 in the United States

#19 in North America

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

3. Northwestern University

Evanston

For Nuclear Physics

#31 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 Nuclear Physics

#76 in the United States

#85 in North America

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

5. Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#141 in the United States

#163 in North America

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

6. Northern Illinois University

DeKalb

For Nuclear Physics

#144 in the United States

#167 in North America

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

7. Southern Illinois University - Carbondale

Carbondale

For Nuclear Physics

#188 in the United States

#214 in North America

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

8. Illinois State University

Normal

For Nuclear Physics

#224 in the United States

#254 in North America

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

9. Loyola University Chicago

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#247 in the United States

#281 in North America

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

10. School of the Art Institute of Chicago

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#281 in the United States

#317 in North America

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

11. Southern Illinois University - Edwardsville

Edwardsville

For Nuclear Physics

#339 in the United States

#382 in North America

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

12. Illinois College

Jacksonville

For Nuclear Physics

#354 in the United States

#399 in North America

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

13. Rush University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#369 in the United States

#414 in North America

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

14. DePaul University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#385 in the United States

#431 in North America

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

15. Western Illinois University

Macomb

For Nuclear Physics

#412 in the United States

#460 in North America

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

16. Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

North Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#458 in the United States

#508 in North America

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

17. Roosevelt University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#464 in the United States

#514 in North America

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

18. Eastern Illinois University

Charleston

For Nuclear Physics

#476 in the United States

#526 in North America

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

19. Knox College

Galesburg

For Nuclear Physics

#481 in the United States

#531 in North America

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

20. NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia

Evanston

For Nuclear Physics

#558 in the United States

#612 in North America

Enrollment: 75
Male:Female: 32:68

21. Chicago State University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#569 in the United States

#623 in North America

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

22. University of Illinois at Springfield

Springfield

For Nuclear Physics

#590 in the United States

#644 in North America

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

23. Elmhurst College

Elmhurst

For Nuclear Physics

#597 in the United States

#651 in North America

Acceptance Rate: 76%
Average SAT: 1085
Average ACT: 26
Net Price: $22,760

24. Northeastern Illinois University

Chicago

For Nuclear Physics

#603 in the United States

#657 in North America

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

25. North Central College

Naperville

For Nuclear Physics

#607 in the United States

#661 in North America

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

26. Benedictine University

Lisle

For Nuclear Physics

#608 in the United States

#662 in North America

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

27. Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington

For Nuclear Physics

#609 in the United States

#663 in North America

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

28. Wheaton College - Illinois

Wheaton

For Nuclear Physics

#617 in the United States

#671 in North America

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

29. Bradley University

Peoria

For Nuclear Physics

#621 in the United States

#675 in North America

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

30. Augustana College

Rock Island

For Nuclear Physics

#633 in the United States

#688 in North America

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

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	42
Kentucky	8	73
Wisconsin	12	10
Tennessee	16	36
Ohio	29	21
Michigan	17	9
Arkansas	6	140
Minnesota	12	18
Mississippi	5	168
Kansas	5	84
Alabama	10	96
Virginia	19	50
Georgia	14	38
North Carolina	18	33
Oklahoma	7	107
Nebraska	6	77
South Carolina	8	91
Pennsylvania	33	22
South Dakota	6	275
District of Columbia	7	93
Louisiana	12	71
Maryland	13	8
New York	68	11
New Jersey	13	4
North Dakota	2	197
Connecticut	11	20
Texas	42	15
Vermont	4	162
Colorado	12	24
Massachusetts	27	2
Rhode Island	3	65
Florida	24	29
New Hampshire	3	81
New Mexico	5	63
Maine	5	189
Montana	3	127
Utah	5	43
Arizona	4	30
Idaho	3	119
Oregon	9	80
Washington	12	13
California	51	1
Puerto Rico	5	230
Hawaii	2	110