Best Illinois Colleges
Illinois has 40 ranked four-year colleges, part of our national best colleges ranking. Rankings weigh admission scores, graduation rates, and selectivity using statistical data, not editorial picks.
Leading our 2027 rankings is University of Chicago in Chicago, Illinois, topping our list in Illinois. The top rated public university is University of Illinois Urbana Champaign. Also highly ranked: Northwestern University, University of Illinois Urbana Champaign and Wheaton College.
Compare tuition, acceptance rates, and enrollment across the colleges below. See how rankings are calculated on our methodology page. Sort by tuition, acceptance rate, or enrollment to find the school that fits you.
University of Illinois Springfield
- Public 4 Year
- Springfield, IL
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| 0 reviews
UIS is a public university known for undergraduate public affairs, political science, and computer science. The campus is in Springfield, Illinois's state capital.
- SAT Range 940-1200
- Avg GPA 3.46
- Acceptance Rate 86%
- Net Price $10,809
Northern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Dekalb, IL
-
3.2 | 5 reviews
- Aug 1 application deadline
NIU is a large public university known for undergraduate business, education, and the visual arts. The residential campus is in the college town of DeKalb west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 940-1170
- Avg GPA 3.3
- Acceptance Rate 70%
- Net Price $14,243
Dominican University
- Private 4 Year
- River Forest, IL
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| 0 reviews
- Aug 31 application deadline
Dominican is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate education, nursing, and business. The suburban River Forest campus sits just west of Chicago.
- SAT Range 880-1100
- Avg GPA 3.74
- Acceptance Rate 90%
- Net Price $13,402
Illinois State University
- Public 4 Year
- Normal, IL
-
4.8 | 4 reviews
- Apr 1 application deadline
Illinois State is a large public university known for undergraduate teacher education, nursing, and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Normal, next to Bloomington.
- SAT Range 990-1210
- Avg GPA 3.41
- Acceptance Rate 88%
- Net Price $21,369
Millikin University
- Private 4 Year
- Decatur, IL
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3.7 | 3 reviews
Millikin is a private university known for undergraduate music, theatre, and business. The residential campus is in Decatur in central Illinois.
- SAT Range 860-1130
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 67%
- Net Price $22,813
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
- Public 4 Year
- Edwardsville, IL
-
| 0 reviews
- May 1 application deadline
SIUE is a public university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The large wooded campus sits in the St. Louis metro area.
- SAT Range 950-1190
- Avg GPA 3.54
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $17,115
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
- Public 4 Year
- Carbondale, IL
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
SIU Carbondale is a large public university known for undergraduate aviation, journalism, and forestry. The wooded campus anchors the college town of Carbondale in southern Illinois.
- SAT Range 900-1160
- Avg GPA 3.24
- Acceptance Rate 87%
- Net Price $13,473
Western Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Macomb, IL
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
Western Illinois is a public university known for undergraduate criminal justice, education, and agriculture. The residential campus sits in the small college town of Macomb.
- SAT Range 880-1090
- Avg GPA 3.45
- Acceptance Rate 71%
- Net Price $14,208
Olivet Nazarene University
- Private 4 Year
- Bourbonnais, IL
-
5.0 | 2 reviews
Olivet Nazarene is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, education, and ministry. The residential campus sits in the small town of Bourbonnais south of Chicago.
- SAT Range 950-1220
- Predicted Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 56%
- Net Price $21,281
North Park University
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
North Park is a private Christian university known for undergraduate nursing, music, and business. The compact urban campus sits in Chicago's North Park neighborhood on the city's North Side.
- SAT Range 890-1162
- Avg GPA 3.14
- Acceptance Rate 69%
- Net Price $20,372
Benedictine University
- Private 4 Year
- Lisle, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Benedictine is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate business, nursing, and biology. The suburban campus is in Lisle in Chicago's western suburbs.
- SAT Range 1050-1280
- Avg GPA 3.26
- Acceptance Rate 95%
- Net Price $23,139
Roosevelt University
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Roosevelt is a private university known for undergraduate performing arts and business. The urban campus includes the historic Auditorium Building in downtown Chicago.
- SAT Range 895-1175
- Avg GPA 3.13
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $22,366
McKendree University
- Private 4 Year
- Lebanon, IL
-
| 0 reviews
McKendree is a small private university known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The historic campus in Lebanon is Illinois's oldest college and sits near the St. Louis metro area.
- SAT Range 871-1277
- Avg GPA 3.38
- Acceptance Rate 72%
- Net Price $22,444
Quincy University
- Private 4 Year
- Quincy, IL
-
2.3 | 3 reviews
Quincy is a small private Catholic university in the Franciscan tradition known for undergraduate nursing, business, and education. The residential campus is in the Mississippi River city of Quincy.
- SAT Range 1000-1200
- Avg GPA 3.47
- Acceptance Rate 51%
- Net Price $19,477
Northeastern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
4.0 | 1 reviews
- Jul 15 application deadline
Northeastern Illinois is a public university known for undergraduate education and business programs. The urban campus sits on Chicago's Northwest Side.
- SAT Range 810-1010
- Avg GPA 3.1
- Acceptance Rate 75%
- Net Price $14,140
Eastern Illinois University
- Public 4 Year
- Charleston, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Eastern Illinois is a mid-sized public university known for undergraduate teacher education and business. The residential campus sits in the college town of Charleston in east-central Illinois.
- SAT Range 880-1090
- Avg GPA 3.39
- Acceptance Rate 65%
- Net Price $13,787
Greenville University
- Private 4 Year
- Greenville, IL
-
| 0 reviews
Greenville University is a private Free Methodist university known for undergraduate teacher education and music. Most students live on the residential campus in the small town of Greenville.
- SAT Range 771-1230
- Avg GPA 3.23
- Acceptance Rate 97%
- Net Price $20,799
Saint Xavier University
- Private 4 Year
- Chicago, IL
-
5.0 | 1 reviews
Saint Xavier is a private Catholic university known for undergraduate nursing and education. The campus is in Chicago's Mount Greenwood neighborhood on the Southwest Side.
- SAT Range 950-1120
- Avg GPA 3.4
- Acceptance Rate 84%
- Net Price $11,318