Prairie State Wire

The University of Chicago, Northwestern University and the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign took the three top spots on a ranking of the top colleges in Illinois compiled by the U.S. News website. 

The 2021 list is a compilation of rankings in different categories – national universities, liberal arts colleges, Mideast regional universities and Mideast regional colleges, according to U.S. News.

The analysis examined institutions of higher learning based on a variety of criteria, including academic quality, graduation rates, faculty resources and the range of undergraduate majors.

Most of Illinois’ universities and colleges are privately funded, according to the study, but the state also offers more than 10 public institutions of higher learning. Most of Illinois’ four-year colleges and universities have campuses in the Chicago area, researchers said.

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Top 50 Colleges, Universities in Illinois

College / University	Location	Rank / Category	Tuition and Fees	Enrollment
University of Chicago	Chicago	#6 (tie) on national universities ranking	$59,298	6,734
Northwestern University	Evanston	#9 (tie) on national universities list	$58,701	8,327
University of Illinois -- Urbana-Champaign	Champaign	#47 (tie) on national universities list	$34,312 (out-of-state), $16,862 (in-state)	34,120
Loyola University Chicago	Chicago	#112 (tie) on national universities list	$46,898	12,240
University of Illinois -- Chicago	Chicago	#112 (tie) on national universities list	$29,358 (out-of-state), $15,008 (in-state)	21,641
DePaul University	Chicago	#124 (tie) on national universities list	$41,202	14,214
Illinois Institute of Technology	Chicago	#124 (tie) on national universities list	$50,490	3,144
Illinois State University	Normal	#206 (tie) on national universities list	$26,356 (out-of-state), $14,832 (in-state)	18,250
University of St. Francis	Joliet	#227 (tie) on national universities list	$35,000	1,746
Southern Illinois University -- Carbondale	Carbondale	#258 (tie) on national universities list	$14,904 (out-of-state), $14,904 (in-state)	8,466
Wheaton College	Wheaton	#61 (tie) on national liberal arts colleges list	$39,100	2,395
Knox College	Galesburg	#72 (tie) on national liberal arts colleges list	$49,974	1,258
Illinois Wesleyan University	Bloomington	#80 (tie) on national liberal arts colleges list	$51,336	1,629
Lake Forest College	Lake Forest	#84 (tie) on national liberal arts colleges list	$49,822	1,538
Principia College	Elsah	#93 (tie) on national liberal arts colleges list	$30,720	404
Augustana College	Rock Island	#96 (tie) on national liberal arts colleges list	$45,136	2,546
Monmouth College	Monmouth	#127 (tie) on national liberal arts colleges list	$41,330	907
Illinois College	Jacksonville	#140 (tie) on national liberal arts colleges list	$34,620	1,057
Bradley University	Peoria	#5 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$35,480	4,636
Dominican University	River Forest	#10 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$35,420	2,151
North Central College	Naperville	#10 (tie) on Midwest regional colleges list	$41,180	2,615
Millikin University	Decatur	#12 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$39,592	1,995
Elmhurst University	Elmhurst	#15 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$38,654	2,891
Trinity Christian College	Palos Heights	#21 (tie) on Midwest regional colleges list	$32,000	1,005
Lewis University	Romeoville	#24 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$34,478	4,274
Quincy University	Quincy	#28 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$31,160	1,042
University of Illinois -- Springfield	Springfield	#31 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$21,536 (out-of-state), $11,921 (in-state)	2,674
Eureka College	Eureka	#33 on Midwest regional colleges list	$28,110	513
North Park University	Chicago	#39 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$31,030	1,909
St. Augustine College	Chicago	#42 (tie) on Midwest regional colleges list	$11,736	N/A
Eastern Illinois University	Charleston	#51 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$14,447 (out-of-state), $12,136 (in-state)	6,229
McKendree University	Lebanon	#51 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$32,200	1,788
Olivet Nazarene University	Bourbonnais	#60 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$36,950	3,110
Saint Xavier University	Chicago	#60 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$34,730	2,957
Western Illinois University	Mascomb	#60 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$11,724 (out-of-state), $11,724 (in-state)	5,958
Concordia University Chicago	River Forest	#74 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$33,636	1,515
Judson University	Elgin	#80 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$29,870	1,046
Greenville University	Greenville	#91 (tie) on Midwest regional universities list	$28,956	913
Columbia College Chicago	Chicago	#103 (tie) on Midwest regional colleges list	$28,318	6,708
Aurora University	Aurora	#298 to #389 on national universities list	$25,060	N/A
Benedictine University	Lisle	#298 to #389 on national universities list	$34,290	2,493
Blackburn College	Carlinville	#171 to #221 on national liberal arts colleges list	$24,950	486
Chicago State University	Chicago	#119 to #156 on Midwest regional universities list	$18,734 (out-of-state), $11,366 (in-state)	N/A
DeVry University	Downers Grove	#119 to #156 on Midwest regional universities list	$17,798	N/A
East-West University	Chicago	#171 to #221 on national liberal arts colleges list	$22,650	N/A
Lincoln College	Lincoln	#58 to #76 on Mideast regional colleges list	$19,000	N/A
National Louis University	Chicago	#298 to #389 on national universities list	$11,010	3,363
Northeastern Illinois University	Chicago	#119 to #156 on Midwest regional universities list	$21,719 (out-of-state), $11,826 (in-state)	5,700
Northern Illinois University	DeKalb	#298 to #389 on national universities list	$12,352 (out-of-state), $12,352 (in-state)	12,131
Rockford University	Rockford	#119 to #156 on Midwest regional universities list	$33,300	982

Source: U.S. News