State Rankings

Best Colleges in Illinois

Top colleges in Illinois ranked by national standing and graduate outcomes — updated 2026.

Colleges listed: 50

Avg grad earnings: $57,440

Public / Private: 23 / 27

Top Colleges in Illinois

Nationally ranked schools appear first. Remaining schools are ordered by median graduate earnings.

State #	School	Type	Grad Earnings	Admit Rate	SAT Avg	Grad Rate	Out-of-State
1	University of Chicago Chicago#14 national	Private	$91,885	4.8%	1,554	94.9%	$66,939
2	Northwestern University Evanston#50 national	Private	$89,363	7.1%	1,526	95.9%	$65,997
3	UIUC Champaign#67 national	Public	$81,054	43.7%	1,418	84.9%	$34,501
4	Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington#155 national	Private	$70,871	45.2%	1,242	82.5%	$55,704
5	Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago#195 national	Private	$82,592	55.4%	1,296	72.4%	$51,763
6	Augustana College Rock Island#237 national	Private	$62,971	67.7%	1,133	79.2%	$49,834
7	DePaul University Chicago#246 national	Private	$68,751	73.5%	1,254	70.0%	$44,460
8	University of Illinois Chicago Chicago#248 national	Public	$68,740	78.5%	1,242	60.3%	$29,360
9	Bradley University Peoria#249 national	Private	$66,852	76.7%	1,237	72.1%	$39,680
10	North Central College Naperville#285 national	Private	$60,123	58.3%	1,165	71.1%	$44,394
11	Lewis University Romeoville#306 national	Private	$66,099	72.7%	1,117	62.6%	$37,882
12	Loyola University Chicago Chicago#341 national	Private	$71,530	81.4%	1,283	76.9%	$51,716
13	University of St Francis Joliet#357 national	Private	$63,926	63.9%	1,055	64.6%	$37,000
14	Wheaton College Wheaton#401 national	Private	$63,756	90.0%	1,363	86.6%	$43,930
15	University of Illinois Springfield Springfield#402 national	Public	$57,103	84.4%	1,118	61.4%	$22,017
16	Illinois State University Normal#415 national	Public	$62,117	89.0%	1,127	66.3%	$28,086
17	Lake Forest College Lake Forest#433 national	Private	$61,825	59.4%	1,309	70.4%	$54,202
18	Dominican University River Forest#437 national	Private	$60,327	79.8%	1,022	62.4%	$37,844
19	Elmhurst University Elmhurst#438 national	Private	$61,462	75.7%	1,116	65.2%	$41,628
20	Millikin University Decatur#571 national	Private	$51,262	54.0%	1,050	59.1%	$43,670
21	Saint Xavier University Chicago#578 national	Private	$58,656	85.8%	N/A	59.0%	$36,840
22	Trinity Christian College Palos Heights#609 national	Private	$55,700	88.6%	1,154	63.9%	$20,325
23	Aurora University Aurora#614 national	Private	$58,709	85.1%	1,072	58.3%	$28,220
24	Northern Illinois University Dekalb#663 national	Public	$57,808	70.5%	N/A	49.6%	$12,700
25	North Park University Chicago#680 national	Private	$59,572	72.8%	N/A	56.0%	$35,325
26	William Rainey Harper College Palatine#689 national	Public	$48,071	N/A	N/A	N/A	$11,802
27	McKendree University Lebanon#709 national	Private	$58,572	63.9%	N/A	59.5%	$34,070
28	College of DuPage Glen Ellyn#712 national	Public	$46,909	N/A	N/A	N/A	$12,510
29	Oakton College Des Plaines#715 national	Public	$47,852	N/A	N/A	N/A	$12,462
30	Elgin Community College Elgin#761 national	Public	$45,516	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,516
31	Benedictine University Lisle#782 national	Private	$63,446	77.2%	N/A	50.9%	$34,290
32	Illinois College Jacksonville#789 national	Private	$52,575	74.7%	1,082	61.1%	$37,470
33	Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove#797 national	Public	$44,788	N/A	N/A	N/A	$12,330
34	Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais#845 national	Private	$53,213	66.9%	1,103	60.3%	$37,940
35	McHenry County College Crystal Lake#847 national	Public	$45,143	N/A	N/A	N/A	$14,885
36	College of Lake County Grayslake#861 national	Public	$43,424	N/A	N/A	N/A	$14,036
37	Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills#873 national	Public	$43,892	N/A	N/A	N/A	$9,846
38	Judson University Elgin#877 national	Private	$56,313	63.1%	985	53.3%	$30,910
39	Joliet Junior College Joliet#881 national	Public	$42,889	N/A	N/A	N/A	$13,800
40	Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville#886 national	Public	$56,346	97.2%	1,063	55.0%	$12,922
41	City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago#891 national	Public	$41,625	N/A	N/A	N/A	$14,430
42	Knox College Galesburg#907 national	Private	$54,820	71.1%	1,250	67.5%	$55,587
43	Triton College River Grove#1027 national	Public	$41,728	N/A	N/A	N/A	$14,880
44	Morton College Cicero#1033 national	Public	$42,406	N/A	N/A	N/A	$11,028
45	Eastern Illinois University Charleston#1048 national	Public	$51,989	67.8%	1,010	45.2%	$15,879
46	Illinois Valley Community College Oglesby#1062 national	Public	$40,810	N/A	N/A	N/A	$14,981
47	Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale#1065 national	Public	$53,390	90.4%	1,060	56.3%	$13,244
48	Western Illinois University Macomb#1107 national	Public	$54,163	75.0%	N/A	44.8%	$14,952
49	Monmouth College Monmouth#1133 national	Private	$51,110	86.6%	1,128	60.1%	$43,520
50	City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College Chicago#1167 national	Public	$37,962	N/A	N/A	N/A	$14,430

Source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard. Excludes for-profit institutions.

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