Top Ranked Colleges: Universities | Public Universities | Liberal Arts Colleges | Engineering | Business | Women's | Most Selective
Illinois has some excellent options for higher education. From giant research universities to small liberal arts colleges, from rural schools to Chicago campuses, Illinois offers something for everyone. The 12 top Illinois colleges listed below vary so much in size and type of school that I have simply listed them alphabetically rather than force them into any sort of artificial ranking.
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Augustana College
Photo Courtesy of Augustana College
- Location: Rock Island, Illinois
- Enrollment: 2,547 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church
- Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; high percentage of students go on to graduate school; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; nearly all students receive grant aid
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Augustana College profile
DePaul University
puroticorico / Flickr
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Enrollment: 24,352 (15,782 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic research university
- Distinctions: largest Catholic university in the country; highly rated service-learning programs; Blue Demons compete in the NCAA Division I Big East Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the DePaul University profile
Illinois College
Photo Courtesy of Illinois College
- Location: Jacksonville, Illinois
- Enrollment: 898 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 13 to 1 student / faculty ratio; oldest college in Illinois; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; good value
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Illinois College profile
Illinois Institute of Technology
John Picken / Flickr
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Enrollment: 7,453 (2,639 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private research university with science and engineering focus
- Distinctions: strong architecture and engineering programs; located adjacent to the White Sox stadium; most students receive significant grant aid; good educational value
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Illinois Institute of Technology profile
Illinois Wesleyan University
soundfromwayout / Flickr
- Location: Bloomington, Illinois
- Enrollment: 2,125 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 11 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 17; high retention and graduation rates; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Illinois Wesleyan University profile
Knox College
iagoarchangel / Flickr
- Location: Galesburg, Illinois
- Enrollment: 1,379 (all undergraduate)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 18; founded in 1837 by anti-slavery reformers; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; good grant aid and educational value
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Knox College profile
Lake Forest College
Royalhawai / Wikimedia Commons
- Location: Lake Forest, Illinois
- Enrollment: 1,400 (1,381 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private liberal arts college
- Distinctions: chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; average class size of 19; located on the shores of Lake Michigan; test-optional admissions
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Lake Forest College profile
Loyola University Chicago
Special*Dark / Flickr
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Enrollment: 15,670 (10,124 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Catholic research university
- Distinctions: one of the top Catholic universities; strong business school; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; northern campus on the Chicago waterfront and a downtown campus just off the Magnificent Mile; Ramblers competes in the NCAA Division I Horizon League
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Loyola University Chicago profile
Northwestern University
powerbooktrance / Flickr
- Location: Evanston, Illinois
- Enrollment: 19,291 (9,336 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private research university
- Distinctions: one of the most selective of all Illinois colleges; membership in the Association of American Universities for research strengths; one of the top U.S. universities; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten athletic conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Northwestern University profile
University of Chicago
puroticorico / Flickr
- Location: Chicago, Illinois
- Enrollment: 14,788 (5,031 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private research university
- Distinctions: strong first-year student housing system; one of the most selective Illinois colleges; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strong liberal arts and sciences; member of the Association of American Universities for research strengths; one of the top U.S. universities
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the University of Chicago profile
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
sirmikester / Flickr
- Location: Urbana and Champaign, Illinois
- Enrollment: 43,246 (31,417 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: public research university
- Distinctions: one of the top public universities; one of the top engineering schools; member of the Association of American Universities for research strengths; chapter of Phi Beta Kappa for strengths in the liberal arts and sciences; member of the NCAA Division I Big Ten Conference
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the UIUC profile
Wheaton College
DiscoverDuPage / Flickr
- Location: Wheaton, Illinois
- Enrollment: 2,915 (2,366 undergraduates)
- Type of Institution: private Christian liberal arts college
- Distinctions: one of the 40 schools featured by Loren Pope in Colleges that Change Lives; 12 to 1 student / faculty ratio; interdenominational with students from over 55 church denominations; highly ranked liberal arts college
- For acceptance rate, test scores, costs and other information, visit the Wheaton College profile
