Most Selective Illinois Colleges
Illinois has 9 four-year colleges that accept 50% or fewer of applicants, ranked from most to least selective.
University of Chicago is the hardest to get into in Illinois, accepting just 4% of 43,612 applicants. Also highly selective: Northwestern University, The Chicago School at Chicago and Illinois Wesleyan University.
Selectivity does not always equal academic difficulty. Some schools admit a small share of applicants because demand exceeds capacity, not because admission standards are extreme. If you need safety schools, see our highest acceptance rate colleges in Illinois. For academically demanding options, explore colleges with the highest SAT, highest ACT, and highest GPA averages.
University of Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
5.0 | 3 reviews
- 4% acceptance rate
UChicago is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate economics and a rigorous Core Curriculum. The urban campus occupies Hyde Park on Chicago's South Side.
- SAT Range 1510-1580
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.95
- Net Price $28,060
Northwestern University
- Private 4 Year
- Evanston, IL
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
- 8% acceptance rate
- Jan 1 application deadline
Northwestern is a highly selective private university known for undergraduate journalism, communications, and theater. The Evanston campus runs along Lake Michigan just north of Chicago.
- SAT Range 1510-1570
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.92
- Net Price $26,830
The Chicago School at Chicago
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- 34% acceptance rate
The Chicago School is a private university known for undergraduate psychology and behavioral sciences. The urban campus is based in downtown Chicago.
- SAT Range -
- Avg GPA NA
- Net Price -
Illinois Wesleyan University
- Private 4 Year
- Bloomington, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- 39% acceptance rate
Illinois Wesleyan is a private liberal arts university known for undergraduate music, nursing, and the sciences. Most students live on a residential campus in Bloomington in central Illinois.
- SAT Range 1120-1340
- Avg GPA 3.86
- Net Price $28,644
Methodist College
- Private 4 Year
- Peoria, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- 39% acceptance rate
- 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.
- SAT Range 800-1160
- Avg GPA 2.95
- Net Price $41,787
University of Illinois Urbana Champaign
- Public 4 Year
- Champaign, IL
-
4.4 | 5 reviews
- 42% acceptance rate
- Jan 5 application deadline
Illinois is a highly selective public university known for undergraduate computer science and engineering. The campus spans the adjacent college towns of Champaign and Urbana.
- SAT Range 1310-1520
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.79
- Net Price $13,973
Chicago State University
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- 43% acceptance rate
Chicago State is a public university known for undergraduate education and nursing. The urban campus is located on Chicago's South Side.
- SAT Range 750-963
- Avg GPA 3.18
- Net Price $10,441
Governors State University
- Public 4 Year
- University Park, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- 48% acceptance rate
- 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
- Net Price $12,756
Judson University
- Private 4 Year
- Elgin, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- 48% acceptance rate
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
- Net Price $18,673