by our College Data Analytics Team
With all of the college options in Illinois, narrowing things down is no easy task. This list ranks **85** schools by overall quality and student outcomes, using our 2026 methodology.
To help you make your decision, College Factual reviewed 85 colleges using more than 20 objective factors such as graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, and per-student spending, drawing primarily on U.S. Department of Education data (IPEDS and College Scorecard). Learn more about our ranking methodology.
The best college for you depends on what you want to study. Narrow your list by location and field of study, or explore other rankings below. You can also browse by degree level:
Want to compare schools head to head? Check out College Combat that lets you create your own customized comparisons based on the factors that matter most to you.
Learn more about these excellent colleges below:
No school ranked higher than Northwestern University this year in Illinois. Set in Evanston, IL, Northwestern University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 95% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $68,322. Early-career graduates earn a median of $78,551. The median student debt is $16,616.
University Of Chicago came in at #2 on this year's Best Colleges ranking in Illinois. University Of Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in Chicago, IL. The six-year graduation rate is 96%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $69,324. University Of Chicago graduates report median early-career earnings of $81,002. Graduates carry a median of $15,854 in student loans.
The strong outcomes at University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign earned it the #3 place in Illinois. University Of Illinois At Urbana Champaign is a public school based in Champaign, IL. About 85% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $18,267, with out-of-state students paying around $40,096. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $57,461. Graduates carry a median of $20,778 in student loans.
Out of the 85 colleges in Illinois in this year's ranking, Loyola University Chicago landed the #4 spot. Located in Chicago, IL, Loyola University Chicago is a private not-for-profit institution. About 75% of students finish within six years. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $53,710. Graduates go on to earn a median of $58,568 early in their careers. Graduates carry a median of $23,521 in student loans.
The strong outcomes at Illinois State University earned it the #5 place in Illinois. Based in Normal, IL, Illinois State University is a public institution. The six-year graduation rate is 64%. In-state tuition and fees average $14,410, compared with $26,058 for out-of-state students. Graduates go on to earn a median of $49,660 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $21,896 to complete a degree here.
University Of Illinois At Chicago landed the #6 spot in Illinois this year. Based in Chicago, IL, University Of Illinois At Chicago is a public institution. University Of Illinois At Chicago graduates 62% of students within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $15,949, compared with $32,009 for out-of-state students. Early-career graduates earn a median of $61,829. Typical student debt is $20,115.
Midwestern University Downers Grove came in at #7 in this year's ranking. Set in Downers Grove, IL, Midwestern University Downers Grove is a private not-for-profit institution. Early-career graduates earn a median of $98,692.
Wheaton College Illinois came in at #8 in this year's ranking. Wheaton College Illinois is a private not-for-profit school based in Wheaton, IL. The six-year graduation rate is 85%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $45,546. Median early-career earnings reach $43,654. Typical student debt is $23,292.
Rush University placed #9 among the best colleges in Illinois. Based in Chicago, IL, Rush University is a private not-for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $33,751. Graduates go on to earn a median of $81,296 early in their careers. Rush University students take on a median of $31,206 in debt.
Depaul University ranked #10 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Chicago, IL, Depaul University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. In-state tuition and fees average $45,405. Depaul University graduates report median early-career earnings of $55,226. Typical student debt is $25,310.
Illinois Wesleyan University did well this year, earning the #11 position. Set in Bloomington, IL, Illinois Wesleyan University is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. The average in-state cost of tuition and fees is $57,704. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $50,808. Graduates carry a median of $26,857 in student loans.
Illinois Institute Of Technology came in at #12 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in Chicago, IL. Illinois Institute Of Technology posts a six-year graduation rate of 75%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $52,202. Early-career graduates earn a median of $71,315. Typical student debt is $26,774.
Bradley University landed the #13 spot in Illinois this year. Set in Peoria, IL, Bradley University is a private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 76% of students complete a degree within six years here. Students from in state pay about $42,160 in tuition and fees. Graduates go on to earn a median of $54,513 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $26,380.
Rosalind Franklin University Of Medicine And Science came in at #14 in this year's ranking. This private not-for-profit school is set in North Chicago, IL. Median early-career earnings reach $95,802.
Elmhurst College ranked #15 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Set in Elmhurst, IL, Elmhurst College is a private not-for-profit institution. Elmhurst College posts a six-year graduation rate of 70%. Students from in state pay about $42,955 in tuition and fees. Median early-career earnings reach $51,232. Elmhurst College students take on a median of $22,400 in debt.
Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois came in at #16 in this year's ranking. Chamberlain College Of Nursing Illinois is a private for-profit school based in Addison, IL. The six-year graduation rate is 42%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $21,536. Median early-career earnings reach $101,006. The median student debt is $39,146.
Lewis University placed #17 among the best colleges in Illinois. Based in Romeoville, IL, Lewis University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 67% of students finish within six years. Students from in state pay about $39,200 in tuition and fees. Lewis University graduates report median early-career earnings of $55,718. Graduates carry a median of $24,838 in student loans.
University Of St Francis landed the #18 spot in Illinois this year. This private not-for-profit school is set in Joliet, IL. Roughly 67% of students complete a degree within six years here. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $38,110. University Of St Francis graduates report median early-career earnings of $70,918. Graduates carry a median of $25,695 in student loans.
Lake Forest Graduate School Of Management ranked #19 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Based in Lake Forest, IL, Lake Forest Graduate School Of Management is a private not-for-profit institution. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $113,944.
Northern Illinois University ranked #20 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. This public school is set in Dekalb, IL. The six-year graduation rate is 49%. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $13,060. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $52,308. Graduates carry a median of $25,209 in student loans.
North Central College ranked #21 on our 2026 list of the best colleges. Located in Naperville, IL, North Central College is a private not-for-profit institution. The six-year graduation rate is 64%. In-state tuition and fees run about $45,726. Graduates go on to earn a median of $46,247 early in their careers. Typical student debt is $25,699.
Benedictine University landed the #22 spot in Illinois this year. Based in Lisle, IL, Benedictine University is a private not-for-profit institution. About 50% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $32,648. A year after graduating, students earn a median of $54,212. Typical student debt is $25,338.
Fox College Inc did well this year, earning the #23 position. Set in Tinley Park, IL, Fox College Inc is a private for-profit institution. Expect in-state tuition and fees of around $17,670. Graduates go on to earn a median of $42,978 early in their careers. Fox College Inc students take on a median of $18,767 in debt.
Concordia University Chicago placed #24 among the best colleges in Illinois. Concordia University Chicago is a private not-for-profit school based in River Forest, IL. About 36% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees run about $37,488. Early-career graduates earn a median of $58,760. The median student debt is $26,956.
Augustana College Illinois came in at #25 in this year's ranking. Based in Rock Island, IL, Augustana College Illinois is a private not-for-profit institution. About 73% of students finish within six years. In-state tuition and fees average $51,598. Augustana College Illinois graduates report median early-career earnings of $39,096. Students borrow a median of $26,764 to complete a degree here.
These colleges also placed among the very best this year:
*These averages are for the top 25 ranked colleges only.
This list is compiled by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. Colleges are scored on a blend of student outcomes (graduation rate, post-graduation earnings), affordability, and per-student spending drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
References
Read more about our data sources and methodologies.
