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.

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Illinois Public Private For-Profit 4 Year 2 Year

List of the Best Illinois Colleges

Kankakee Community College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Kankakee, IL
  • | 0 reviews

A public community college known for nursing and allied health programs. Most students commute to the campus in Kankakee.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 2.9
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $4,789
Details

  • Public 2 Year
  • Centralia, IL
  • | 0 reviews

Kaskaskia is a community college known for associate programs in nursing and career-technical fields. The main campus sits in the small city of Centralia in southern Illinois.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.17
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $5,438
Details
Kishwaukee College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Malta, IL
  • | 0 reviews

Kishwaukee is a public community college known for undergraduate programs in agriculture and nursing. The rural campus is in the small town of Malta in northern Illinois.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $6,218
Details
College of Lake County Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Grayslake, IL
  • 5.0 | 2 reviews

College of Lake County is a public community college known for associate programs in nursing and health sciences. The main campus is in suburban Grayslake north of Chicago.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $6,357
Details
Lake Land College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Mattoon, IL
  • | 0 reviews
  • Sep 3 application deadline

Lake Land is a public community college known for associate degree programs in agriculture and nursing. The campus is located in the small city of Mattoon in east-central Illinois.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $4,414
Details
Lewis and Clark Community College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Godfrey, IL
  • | 0 reviews

Lewis and Clark is a public community college offering associate degrees and career certificates for transfer and workforce training. The main campus is in Godfrey, just north of the St. Louis metro area.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $2,781
Details
Lincoln Land Community College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Springfield, IL
  • | 0 reviews

A public community college offering associate degrees and career certificate programs. The main campus is in Springfield, the Illinois state capital.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $3,959
Details
Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Rock Island, IL
  • | 0 reviews

A private college focused on undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The small campus is in Rock Island in Illinois' Quad Cities.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.42
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price -
Details
Generations College Campus
 

  • Private 2 Year
  • Chicago, IL
  • | 0 reviews

A private college known for undergraduate court reporting, paralegal studies, and business. The urban campus is located in downtown Chicago.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 3.0
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $18,644
Details
McHenry County College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Crystal Lake, IL
  • | 0 reviews

McHenry County College is a public community college offering associate degrees and career certificate programs. The suburban campus is in Crystal Lake northwest of Chicago.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 2.25
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $6,334
Details
Methodist College Campus
 

  • Private 4 Year
  • Peoria, IL
  • | 0 reviews
  • Jul 23 application deadline

Methodist College is a private college known for undergraduate nursing and health sciences. The compact urban campus sits in Peoria near a regional medical center.

7/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 800-1160
  • Avg GPA 2.95
  • Acceptance Rate 39%
  • Net Price $41,787
Details

  • Private 4 Year
  • Monmouth, IL
  • 4.5 | 2 reviews

Monmouth is a private liberal arts college known for undergraduate business, education, and the sciences. The residential campus sits in a small college town in western Illinois.

6/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range 1000-1210
  • Avg GPA 3.49
  • Acceptance Rate 91%
  • Net Price $17,768
Details

  • Private 4 Year
  • Chicago, IL
  • 4.0 | 1 reviews
  • Mar 1 application deadline

Moody Bible Institute is a private Christian college known for undergraduate biblical studies, theology, and ministry. The urban campus sits in Chicago's Near North Side.

0/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 83%
  • Net Price $21,614
Details

  • Public 2 Year
  • Palos Hills, IL
  • | 0 reviews

Moraine Valley is a public community college known for nursing, allied health, and career-technical associate programs. The suburban campus serves students from Chicago's southwest suburbs.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $2,915
Details
Morrison Institute of Technology Campus
 

  • Private 2 Year
  • Morrison, IL
  • | 0 reviews

Morrison Institute of Technology is a small private technical college known for undergraduate engineering technology and computer-aided design. Students attend a compact campus in a small northwestern Illinois town.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 2.2
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $21,336
Details
Morton College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Cicero, IL
  • | 0 reviews

Morton College is a public community college offering associate degrees and career certificate programs. The campus sits in Cicero, a near-west suburb of Chicago.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $5,716
Details

  • Private 4 Year
  • Chicago, IL
  • | 0 reviews

National Louis is a private university known for undergraduate teacher education and human services. The urban Chicago campus serves many commuting and nontraditional students.

0/10 Overall Rating
  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA 2.8
  • Acceptance Rate 95%
  • Net Price $13,150
Details
Oakton College Campus
 

  • Public 2 Year
  • Des Plaines, IL
  • | 0 reviews

Oakton is a public community college known for associate programs in nursing, business, and liberal arts transfer. The main campus sits in suburban Des Plaines northwest of Chicago.

  • SAT Range -
  • Avg GPA NA
  • Acceptance Rate 100%
  • Net Price $5,401
Details