This page compares the best colleges in Illinois with tuition, admission, and more academic facts (Ranking data from College Evaluator). For the academic year 2021-2022, University of Chicago rank first in the best Illinois college ranking and Northwestern University is placed in second.
Admission Comparison Between Best Colleges in Illinois
1 public and 9 private schools rank in the best Illinois colleges. The schools' average acceptance rate is 58.70% where University of Chicago has the tightest (lowest) acceptance rate of 7% and Principia College has the highest rate of 93%. Total 133,510 students are attending one of the best Illinois schools where University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has the largest population with 52,679 students and Principia College has the smallest number of students (340 students). The average graduation rate is 81.60% and the average students to faculty ratio is 10.90:1 at those colleges.
| Rank | Name | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Graduation Rate | Population | Student-Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | 7% | 1,535 | 96% | 17,834 | 5:1 (20.00 %) |
| 2 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | 9% | 1,490 | 95% | 22,603 | 6:1 (16.67 %) |
| 3 | Principia College Elsah, IL | 93% | 1,112 | 75% | 340 | 6:1 (16.67 %) |
| 4 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | 63% | 1,330 | 86% | 52,679 | 20:1 (5.00 %) |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | 61% | 1,295 | 72% | 6,325 | 12:1 (8.33 %) |
| 6 | Wheaton College Wheaton, IL | 87% | 1,330 | 88% | 2,908 | 10:1 (10.00 %) |
| 7 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | 71% | 1,230 | 76% | 16,893 | 14:1 (7.14 %) |
| 8 | Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington, IL | 57% | 1,200 | 82% | 1,636 | 11:1 (9.09 %) |
| 9 | Lewis University Romeoville, IL | 66% | 1,115 | 70% | 6,437 | 13:1 (7.69 %) |
| 10 | Bradley University Peoria, IL | 73% | 1,180 | 76% | 5,855 | 12:1 (8.33 %) |
| Average | 58.70% | 1,282 | 81.60% | 133,510 (Total) | 10.90:1 (9.17 %) |
Best Illinois Colleges 2022 Tuition Comparison and 2023 Estimated Costs
The following table lists 2021-2022 tuition & fees and compares them between the best Illinois colleges. The 2021-2022 costs are officially published by IPEDS, U.S. Department of Education. The estimated costs for the academic year 2022-2023 are calculated and estimated based on each school's rate of tuition change from 2021 to 2022.
For the undergraduate programs, the average tuition & fees of the best Illinois colleges is $45,018 where University of Chicago has the most expensive costs at $62,241 and Principia College has the lowest amount of tuition at $30,820. The average graduate tuition & fees of the best Illinois colleges is $31,567 where University of Chicago has the highest tuition with $63,936 and Lewis University has the lowest amount of graduate school tuition with $14,960.
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | University of Chicago | $62,241 | $63,977 | ||
| 2 | Northwestern University | $60,768 | $62,908 | ||
| 3 | Principia College | $30,820 | $30,920 | ||
| 4 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $15,442 | $32,892 | $15,740 | $33,187 |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology | $50,490 | $50,490 | ||
| 6 | Wheaton College | $40,820 | $42,616 | ||
| 7 | Loyola University Chicago | $47,808 | $49,622 | ||
| 8 | Illinois Wesleyan University | $52,512 | $53,715 | ||
| 9 | Lewis University | $35,472 | $36,495 | ||
| 10 | Bradley University | $36,360 | $37,262 | ||
| Average | $15,442 | $45,018 | $15,740 | $46,119 | |
| Rank | School Name | 2022 Tuition & Fees | 2023 Estimated Tuition & Fees | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| In-State | Out-of-State | In-State | Out-of-State | ||
| 1 | University of Chicago | $63,936 | $66,417 | ||
| 2 | Northwestern University | $56,567 | $56,567 | ||
| 3 | Principia College | - | - | ||
| 4 | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign | $17,823 | $30,862 | $17,823 | $17,734 |
| 5 | Illinois Institute of Technology | $30,822 | $30,950 | ||
| 6 | Wheaton College | $18,096 | $18,794 | ||
| 7 | Loyola University Chicago | $19,894 | $20,663 | ||
| 8 | Illinois Wesleyan University | - | - | ||
| 9 | Lewis University | $14,960 | $15,142 | ||
| 10 | Bradley University | $17,400 | $17,768 | ||
| Average | $17,823 | $31,567 | $17,734 | $32,245 | |