Best Illinois Colleges
There are 119 colleges and universities in Illinois enrolling 693,837 students. Explore the list of top colleges in Illinois below to begin your college search. The CollegeSimply rankings are objective and data-driven in order to help you find good matches for you. Learn how the Best Colleges rankings are calculated on our ranking methodology page. Whether you're searching for a good public, private or community college, this guide to universities in Illinois offers a comprehensive view to the state's higher education options.
Illinois is home to nationally ranked institutions like University of Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and Wheaton College. The highest ranked college in Illinois is University of Chicago and the top rated public state college is University of Illinois Urbana Champaign.
Local college options can be explored in Chicago, Aurora and Rockford or other cities.
List of the Best Illinois Colleges
Columbia College Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
Columbia College Chicago is a private arts and media college known for undergraduate film, journalism, and performing arts. The urban campus sits in Chicago's South Loop.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 89%
- Net Price $29,473
Danville Area Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Danville, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Danville Area Community College is a public community college offering associate degrees and career and technical programs. Most students commute to a compact campus in the small city of Danville near the Indiana border.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $5,581
College of DuPage
- Public 2 Year
- Glen Ellyn, IL
-
| 0 reviews
College of DuPage is a large community college known for associate programs in nursing, health sciences, and culinary arts. Most students commute to the suburban campus in Glen Ellyn west of Chicago.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $6,691
East West University
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
| 0 reviews
East West University is a small private university known for undergraduate computer science, business, and electronics engineering technology. The urban campus is located in Chicago's South Loop.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA 2.67
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $21,872
Elgin Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Elgin, IL
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Elgin Community College is a public community college offering undergraduate associate degrees and certificates in nursing, health professions, and career-technical fields. The suburban campus is located in the Chicago-area city of Elgin.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $5,020
Eureka College
- Private 4 Year
- Eureka, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 15 application deadline
Eureka is a small private liberal arts college with a traditional undergraduate arts-and-sciences curriculum. The residential campus in a small central Illinois town is Ronald Reagan's alma mater.
- SAT Range 870-1155
- Avg GPA 3.22
- Acceptance Rate 85%
- Net Price $19,128
Fox College
- Private 2 Year
- Tinley Park, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $9,576
Governors State University
- Public 4 Year
- University Park, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Governors State is a public university known for undergraduate programs in nursing, education, and business. The suburban campus sits in University Park south of Chicago.
- SAT Range 830-1060
- Avg GPA 4.0
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $12,756
Hebrew Theological College
- Private 4 Year
- Skokie, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Hebrew Theological College is a private Orthodox Jewish college known for undergraduate Jewish studies and a dual Torah-and-secular curriculum. The Skokie campus operates as a yeshiva where students pursue intensive religious study alongside bachelor's degree work.
- SAT Range -
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 57%
- Net Price $16,158
Highland Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Freeport, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Highland is a community college offering associate degrees and career certificate programs. Most students commute to the Freeport campus from across northwestern Illinois.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $5,393
Illinois Central College
- Public 2 Year
- East Peoria, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 22 application deadline
Illinois Central is a public community college known for associate programs in nursing and technical career fields. The main East Peoria campus overlooks the Illinois River.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $12,570
Illinois College
- Private 4 Year
- Jacksonville, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Illinois College is a private liberal arts college with undergraduate programs across the arts, sciences, and pre-professional fields. The historic campus sits in the small college town of Jacksonville in west-central Illinois.
- SAT Range 883-1180
- Avg GPA 3.63
- Acceptance Rate 78%
- Net Price $17,375
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges
- Public 2 Year
- Olney, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Illinois Eastern is a public community college district known for associate programs in nursing and career-technical fields. Campuses sit in small towns across southeastern Illinois, including Olney.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $10,309
Illinois Valley Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Oglesby, IL
-
| 0 reviews
A public community college known for nursing and career-technical associate programs. Most students commute to the campus in the small city of Oglesby.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $3,437
John A Logan College
- Public 2 Year
- Carterville, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- Aug 25 application deadline
John A. Logan is a public community college offering associate degrees and career certificate programs. The main campus sits in the small southern Illinois town of Carterville.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $6,122
John Wood Community College
- Public 2 Year
- Quincy, IL
-
| 0 reviews
John Wood is a public community college offering associate degrees and career-technical programs. The main campus is in Quincy in western Illinois near the Mississippi River.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $8,858
Joliet Junior College
- Public 2 Year
- Joliet, IL
-
1.0 | 2 reviews
- Aug 16 application deadline
Joliet Junior College is a public community college known for undergraduate nursing and agriculture programs. It was founded as the nation's first public community college, with its main campus in Joliet southwest of Chicago.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Acceptance Rate 100%
- Net Price $3,090
Judson University
- Private 4 Year
- Elgin, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Judson is a private Christian university known for undergraduate architecture and the visual arts. The suburban campus sits in Elgin northwest of Chicago.
- SAT Range 816-1118
- Avg GPA 3.16
- Acceptance Rate 48%
- Net Price $18,673