The best college in Illinois on the University Rankings List is the University of Chicago placed at 7th in the USA and 9th in the world rankings. Other renown colleges in the state include Northwestern University (14th in the USA, ranked 25th in the world); the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (24th USA, 26th World); the University of Illinois Chicago (ranked 156th in the world); and the Loyola University Chicago, rated as the 312th best in the USA by Forbes.
List of Illinois Colleges Part 1
| Name | Location / Address | Type | Number of UG Students | In-State Tuition | Out of State Tuition | Acceptance Rate | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Adler School of Professional Psychology | 17 N Dearborn St, Chicago, IL 60602 | Private | 1952 | ||||
| American Academy of Art | 332 S Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60604 | Private | $29,020 | $29,020 | |||
| American College of Education | 101 West Ohio St., Suite 1200, Indianapolis, IN 46204 | Private | 2005 | ||||
| American InterContinental University | 231 N Martingale Rd, Schaumburg, IL 60173 | Private | 1970 | ||||
| Argosy University | 225 North Michigan Avenue, Suite 1300, Chicago, IL 60601 | Private | 2001 | ||||
| Augustana College | 639 38th Street, Rock Island, IL 61201-2296 | Private | 2524 | $37,236 | $37,236 | 59% | 1860 |
| Aurora University | 347 S. Gladstone Avenue, Aurora, IL 60506-4892 | Private | 3000 | $20,720 | $20,720 | 76% | 1893 |
| Benedictine University | 5700 College Road, Lisle, IL 60532 | Private | 2690 | $26,950 | $26,950 | 70% | 1887 |
| Blackburn College | 700 College Avenue, Carlinville, IL 62626 | Private | 543 | $19,560 | $19,560 | 68% | 1837 |
| Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing | N 11th St, Quincy, IL 62301 | Private | 243 | $21,372 | $21,372 | ||
| Bradley University | 1501 W. Bradley Avenue, Peoria, IL 61625 | Private | 4855 | $30,844 | $30,844 | 67% | 1897 |
| Catholic Theological Union | 5416 S Cornell Ave, Chicago, IL 60615 | Private | 1968 | ||||
| Chamberlain College of Nursing | 3005 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 | Private | 14496 | $17,280 | $17,280 | 1889 | |
| The Chicago School of Professional Psychology | Private | ||||||
| Chicago State University | 9501 S. King Drive, Chicago, IL 60628 | Public | 4340 | $11,396 | $20,096 | 29% | 1867 |
| Chicago Theological Seminary | 1407 E 60th St, Chicago, IL 60637 | Private | 1855 | ||||
| Columbia College Chicago | 600 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605-1996 | Private | 10142 | $22,792 | $22,792 | 91% | 1890 |
| Concordia University-Chicago | 7400 Augusta Street, River Forest, IL 60305-1499 | Private | 1604 | $28,908 | $28,908 | 54% | 1864 |
| DePaul University | 1 E. Jackson Boulevard, Chicago, IL 60604-2287 | Private | 16420 | $35,071 | $35,071 | 60% | 1898 |
| DeVry University | 3005 Highland Parkway, Downers Grove, IL 60515 | Private | 48782 | $17,132 | $17,132 | 1931 | |
| DeVry University-Addison | 1221 N Swift Rd, Addison, IL 60101 | Private | |||||
| DeVry University-Chicago | 3300 N Campbell Ave, Chicago, IL 60618 | Private | |||||
| Dominican University | 7900 W. Division, River Forest, IL 60305 | Private | 2069 | $29,770 | $29,770 | 60% | 1901 |
| East-West University | 816 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605 | Private | 1170 | $18,795 | $18,795 | 1980 | |
| Eastern Illinois University | 600 Lincoln Avenue, Charleston, IL 61920-3099 | Public | 8347 | $11,108 | $28,088 | 62% | 1895 |
| Elmhurst College | 190 Prospect Avenue, Elmhurst, IL 60126 | Private | 2900 | $33,950 | $33,950 | 72% | 1871 |
| Erikson Institute | 451 N LaSalle St, Chicago, IL 60654 | Private | 1966 | ||||
| Eureka College | 300 E. College Avenue, Eureka, IL 61530-1500 | Private | 692 | $20,060 | $20,060 | 66% | 1855 |
| Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary | 2121 Sheridan Rd, Evanston, IL 60201 | Private | 1853 | ||||
| Governors State University | 1 University Pkwy, University Park, IL 60484 | Private | 2632 | 1969 | |||
| Greenville College | 315 E. College Avenue, Greenville, IL 62246 | Private | 1129 | $24,360 | $24,360 | 61% | 1892 |
| Harrington College of Design | 200 W. Madison Street, Chicago, IL 60606 | Private | $19,305 | $19,305 | 1931 | ||
| Hebrew Theological College | 7135 Carpenter Rd, Skokie, IL 60077 | Private | 1921 | ||||
| Illinois College | 1101 W. College Avenue, Jacksonville, IL 62650-2299 | Private | 1010 | $29,210 | $29,210 | 61% | 1829 |
| Illinois College of Optometry | 3241 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60616 | Private | 1872 | ||||
| Illinois Institute of Art | 350 N Orleans St #136, Chicago, IL 60654 | Private | 2200 | $17,488 | $17,488 | 1916 | |
| Illinois Institute of Art-Schaumburg | 1000 Plaza Dr #100, Schaumburg, IL 60173 | Private | 1983 | ||||
| Illinois Institute of Technology | 3300 S. Federal Street, Chicago, IL 60616-3793 | Private | 2926 | $41,335 | $41,335 | 57% | 1890 |
| Illinois State University | 100 N University St, Normal, IL 61761 | Public | 17749 | $12,830 | $20,420 | 69% | 1857 |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | 1312 Park St, Bloomington, IL 61701 | Private | 2009 | $40,844 | $40,844 | 58% | 1850 |
| Institute for Clinical Social Work | 401 S State St, Chicago, IL 60605 | Private | 1981 | ||||
| John Marshall Law School | 315 S Plymouth Ct, Chicago, IL 60604 | Private | 1899 | ||||
| Judson University | 1151 N. State Street, Elgin, IL 60123-1498 | Private | 1066 | $27,530 | $27,530 | 93% | 1913 |
| Kendall College | 900 N. North Branch Street, Chicago, IL 60642 | Private | 2389 | $24,396 | $24,396 | 99% | 1934 |
| Knowledge Systems Institute | 3420 Main St, Skokie, IL 60076 | Private | 1978 | ||||
| Knox College | 2 E. South Street, Galesburg, IL 61401 | Private | 1424 | $40,497 | $40,497 | 75% | 1837 |
| Lake Forest College | 555 N. Sheridan Road, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | Private | 1594 | $39,842 | $39,842 | 57% | 1857 |
| Lake Forest Graduate School of Management | 1905 W Field Ct, Lake Forest, IL 60045 | Private | 1946 | ||||
| Lakeview College of Nursing | 903 N Logan Ave, Danville, IL 61832 | Private | 278 | 1894 | |||
| Lewis University | 1 University Parkway, Romeoville, IL 60446-2200 | Private | 4613 | $27,830 | $27,830 | 56% | 1932 |
| Lexington College | 310 S Peoria St, Chicago, IL 60607 | Private | Now Closed | ||||
| Lincoln Christian University | 100 Campus View Drive, Lincoln, IL 62656-2111 | Private | 623 | 1944 | |||
| Lincoln College | 300 Keokuk St., Lincoln, IL 62656 | Private | 1100 | $17,500 | $17,500 | 1865 | |
| Loyola University Chicago | 1032 W. Sheridan Road, Chicago, IL 60660 | Private | 10168 | $37,412 | $37,412 | 91% | 1870 |
| Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago | 1100 East 55th St, Chicago, IL 60615 | Private | 1962 |
Illinois Universities Part 2
| Name | Location / Address | Type | Number of UG Students | In-State Tuition | Out of State Tuition | Acceptance Rate | Founded |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MacMurray College | 447 E. College, Jacksonville, IL 62650 | Private | 571 | $23,600 | $23,600 | 75% | 1846 |
| McCormick Theological Seminary | 5460 S University Ave, Chicago, IL 60615 | Private | 1829 | ||||
| McKendree University | 701 College Road, Lebanon, IL 62254-1299 | Private | 2358 | $26,900 | $26,900 | 63% | 1828 |
| Methodist College | 415 NE St Mark Ct, Peoria, IL 61603 | Private | 595 | 2001 | |||
| Midstate College | 411 W. Northmoor Road, Peoria, IL 61614 | Private | 685 | $16,230 | $16,230 | 53% | 1888 |
| Midwestern University | 555 31st St, Downers Grove, IL 60515 | Private | 1900 | ||||
| Millikin University | 1184 W. Main Street, Decatur, IL 62522-2084 | Private | 2154 | $29,620 | $29,620 | 55% | 1901 |
| Monmouth College | 700 E. Broadway, Monmouth, IL 61462 | Private | 1256 | $33,200 | $33,200 | 64% | 1853 |
| Moody Bible Institute | 555 31st St, Downers Grove, IL 60515 | Private | 1886 | ||||
| National University of Health Sciences | 200 E Roosevelt Rd, Lombard, IL 60148 | Private | 1906 | ||||
| National-Louis University | 122 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603 | Private | 1427 | $15,915 | $15,915 | 1886 | |
| North Central College | 30 N Brainard St, Naperville, IL 60540 | Private | 2797 | $34,230 | $34,230 | 64% | 1861 |
| North Park University | 3225 W. Foster Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625-4895 | Private | 2204 | $24,540 | $24,540 | 52% | 1891 |
| Northeastern Illinois University | 5500 N. St. Louis Avenue, Chicago, IL 60625 | Public | 8950 | $10,764 | $19,884 | 60% | 1867 |
| Northern Baptist Theological Seminary | 660 Butterfield Rd, Lombard, IL 60148 | Private | 1913 | ||||
| Northern Illinois University | 300 Normal Rd, DeKalb, IL 60115 | Public | 15814 | $13,636 | $22,914 | 52% | 1895 |
| Northwestern University | 633 Clark Street, Evanston, IL 60208 | Private | 8688 | $47,251 | $47,251 | 14% | 1851 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | 1 University Avenue, Bourbonnais, IL 60914 | Private | 3335 | $31,390 | $31,390 | 79% | 1907 |
| Principia College | 1 Maybeck Place, Elsah, IL 62028 | Private | 480 | $26,850 | $26,850 | 84% | 1910 |
| Quincy University | 1800 College Avenue, Quincy, IL 62301 | Private | 1196 | $26,572 | $26,572 | 89% | 1860 |
| Rasmussen College | 1415 W 22nd St # 400 Oak Brook, IL | Private | 15000 | 1900 | |||
| Resurrection University | 1431 N Claremont Ave, Chicago, IL 60622 | Private | 1914 | ||||
| Robert Morris University-Illinois | 401 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60605 | Private | 2781 | $23,700 | $23,700 | 21% | 1913 |
| Rockford University | 5050 E. State Street, Rockford, IL 61108-2393 | Private | 981 | $27,500 | $27,500 | 41% | 1847 |
| Roosevelt University | 430 S. Michigan Avenue, Chicago, IL 60605 | Private | 3658 | $26,900 | $26,900 | 79% | 1945 |
| Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine & Science | 3333 Green Bay Rd, North Chicago, IL 60064 | Private | 1912 | ||||
| Rush University | 600 S Paulina St #440, Chicago, IL 60612 | Private | 124 | $35,459 | $35,459 | 1972 | |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing | 5658 E. State Street, Rockford, IL 61108-2468 | Private | $22,624 | $22,624 | 1915 | ||
| Saint Augustine College | 1333-1345 W. Argyle Street, Chicago, IL 60640-3594 | Private | 1400 | $9,120 | $9,120 | 1980 | |
| Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | 511 N.E. Greenleaf Street, Peoria, IL 61603 | Private | 420 | $16,976 | $16,976 | 1905 | |
| Saint John's College | 729 E Carpenter St, Springfield, IL 62702 | Private | 1886 | ||||
| Saint Xavier University | 3700 W. 103rd Street, Chicago, IL 60655 | Private | 2920 | $30,100 | $30,100 | 79% | 1846 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | 37 S. Wabash Avenue, Chicago, IL 60603 | Private | 2714 | $42,230 | $42,230 | 1866 | |
| Shimer College | 3424 S. State Street, Chicago, IL 60616 | Private | 141 | $31,527 | $31,527 | 1853 | |
| Southern Illinois University System | |||||||
| Carbondale | 1263 Lincoln Dr, Carbondale, IL 62901 | Public | 13351 | $12,251 | $24,874 | 79% | 1869 |
| Edwardsville | 1 Hairpin Dr, Edwardsville, IL 62025 | Public | 11229 | $9,738 | $20,682 | 84% | 1957 |
| Spertus Institute of Jewish Studies | 610 S Michigan Ave, Chicago, IL 60605 | Private | 1924 | ||||
| Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago | 6045 S. Kenwood Ave., Chicago, Illinois 60637 | Private | 2003 | ||||
| Trinity Christian College | 6601 W. College Drive, Palos Heights, IL 60463 | Private | 1333 | $25,290 | $25,290 | 79% | 1959 |
| Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences | 2122 - 25th Avenue, Rock Island, IL 61201 | Private | $24,453 | $24,453 | 1898 | ||
| Trinity International University | 2065 Half Day Road, Deerfield, IL 60015 | Private | 1163 | $27,360 | $27,360 | 94% | 1897 |
| University of Chicago | 5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago, IL 60637 | Private | 5659 | $48,253 | $48,253 | 9% | 1890 |
| University of Illinois System | |||||||
| UIC / Chicago | 601 S. Morgan M/C 102, Chicago, IL 60607 | Public | 16660 | $13,640 | $26,030 | 71% | 1965 |
| Springfield | 1 University Plaza, Springfield, IL 62703-5407 | Public | 3309 | $11,367 | $20,517 | 60% | 1969 |
| U of I / Urbana-Champaign | 601 E. John Street, Champaign, IL 61820-5711 | Public | 32695 | $15,602 | $30,228 | 62% | 1867 |
| University of Saint Francis | 500 Wilcox Street, Joliet, IL 60435 | Private | 1422 | $28,790 | $28,790 | 51% | 1920 |
| VanderCook College of Music | 3140 S. Federal Street, Chicago, IL 60616 | Private | 133 | $25,690 | $25,690 | 1909 | |
| Western Illinois University | 1 University Circle, Macomb, IL 61455 | Public | 9873 | $11,283 | $15,599 | 59% | 1899 |
| Wheaton College | 501 College Avenue, Wheaton, IL 60187 | Private | 2444 | $31,900 | $31,900 | 70% | 1860 |
Size wise the largest colleges by undergraduate student body are the DeVry University (48,782 students) and the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (32,695 students). While the smallest establishments include Rush University (124 students) and the VanderCook College of Music (133 students).
Cost wise, of the main public higher education establishments the lowest tuition fees are offered by Southern Illinois University System – Edwardsville (In-state tuition: $9,738; Out of state fees: $20,682), and the Northeastern Illinois University (In-state: $10,764; Out of state: $19,884).
Conversely the highest priced public college in Illinois is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign ($15,602 In-state tuition fees, and $30,228 Out of state fees).
Of the private institutions, the lowest priced establishments in the list of Illinois colleges are Saint Augustine College ($9,120) and the National-Louis University ($15,915), whilst the most expensive universities in Illinois state are the University of Chicago ($48,253) and Northwestern University ($47,251).
The most selective colleges are the University of Chicago (9% acceptance rate) and Northwestern (14%). The oldest college in Illinois is McKendree University, established in 1828.