HighSchoolOS Best Colleges in Illinois
The strongest colleges and universities in Illinois, ranked by graduation rate and selectivity, with verified acceptance rates, net price, and test scores for this admissions cycle.
Explore this ranking interactively| # | School | Location | Acceptance | SAT avg | Net price | Grad rate | Undergrads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Northwestern University | Evanston, IL | 7.7% | 1,533 | $29,167 | 95% | 9,201 |
| 2 | University of Chicago | Chicago, IL | 4.5% | 1,554 | $14,860 | 96% | 7,569 |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign, IL | 42% | 1,440 | $14,355 | 85% | 36,258 |
| 4 | Illinois State University | Normal, IL | 88% | 1,113 | $19,398 | 65% | 19,057 |
| 5 | Northern Illinois University | Dekalb, IL | 70% | n/a | $13,391 | 49% | 11,301 |
| 6 | Wheaton College | Wheaton, IL | 87% | 1,380 | $26,975 | 85% | 2,121 |
| 7 | Lake Forest College | Lake Forest, IL | 57% | 1,343 | $28,673 | 78% | 1,813 |
| 8 | Bradley University | Peoria, IL | 77% | n/a | $22,719 | 76% | 3,574 |
| 9 | Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago, IL | 55% | 1,311 | $18,425 | 75% | 2,833 |
| 10 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington, IL | 39% | 1,275 | $28,199 | 75% | 1,582 |
| 11 | Principia College | Elsah, IL | n/a | n/a | n/a | 74% | 339 |
| 12 | Loyola University Chicago | Chicago, IL | 82% | 1,297 | $36,079 | 73% | 11,737 |
| 13 | Augustana College | Rock Island, IL | 63% | 1,165 | $22,736 | 73% | 2,490 |
| 14 | Elmhurst University | Elmhurst, IL | 74% | 1,151 | $24,185 | 70% | 3,006 |
| 15 | DePaul University | Chicago, IL | 76% | 1,262 | $30,902 | 68% | 14,090 |
| 16 | Knox College | Galesburg, IL | 71% | 1,326 | $24,595 | 68% | 1,127 |
| 17 | School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago, IL | 77% | n/a | $49,790 | 67% | 2,805 |
| 18 | University of St Francis | Joliet, IL | 65% | 1,141 | $13,006 | 67% | 1,223 |
| 19 | Lewis University | Romeoville, IL | 71% | 1,096 | $17,028 | 67% | 4,015 |
| 20 | Monmouth College | Monmouth, IL | 91% | 1,128 | $17,133 | 65% | 702 |
| 21 | North Central College | Naperville, IL | 77% | 1,213 | $21,044 | 64% | 2,428 |
| 22 | Illinois College | Jacksonville, IL | 78% | 1,064 | $18,298 | 64% | 930 |
| 23 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | Carbondale, IL | 87% | 1,055 | $13,297 | 62% | 8,494 |
| 24 | University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago, IL | 77% | 1,250 | $10,974 | 62% | 22,170 |
| 25 | Aurora University | Aurora, IL | 81% | 1,076 | $18,838 | 60% | 3,974 |
| 26 | North Park University | Chicago, IL | 69% | n/a | $16,948 | 58% | 1,818 |
| 27 | Blackburn College | Carlinville, IL | 63% | n/a | $18,460 | 57% | 471 |
| 28 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville, IL | 98% | 1,100 | $14,889 | 57% | 8,750 |
| 29 | Saint Xavier University | Chicago, IL | 84% | n/a | $10,970 | 57% | 3,096 |
| 30 | Dominican University | River Forest, IL | 90% | 1,002 | $11,745 | 55% | 2,561 |
| 31 | Millikin University | Decatur, IL | 67% | 1,034 | $21,989 | 55% | 1,382 |
| 32 | McKendree University | Lebanon, IL | 72% | n/a | $24,717 | 53% | 1,752 |
| 33 | University of Illinois Springfield | Springfield, IL | 86% | 1,102 | $9,833 | 53% | 2,263 |
| 34 | Columbia College Chicago | Chicago, IL | 89% | n/a | $26,598 | 52% | 5,368 |
| 35 | Benedictine University | Lisle, IL | 95% | n/a | $22,313 | 50% | 1,942 |
| 36 | Eastern Illinois University | Charleston, IL | 65% | 1,000 | $12,786 | 47% | 4,188 |
| 37 | Rockford University | Rockford, IL | 93% | 956 | $22,436 | 47% | 972 |
| 38 | Western Illinois University | Macomb, IL | 71% | n/a | $12,937 | 45% | 4,410 |
| 39 | Quincy University | Quincy, IL | 51% | 1,098 | $20,359 | 45% | 1,010 |
| 40 | Eureka College | Eureka, IL | 85% | n/a | $17,349 | 42% | 522 |
Acceptance rate, net price (average cost after aid), and graduation rate are from the most recent federal data; test ranges and deadlines are verified against each school for the 2025-2026 cycle. Click any school for its full profile, deadlines, and supplemental essay prompts.