Best Colleges in Illinois + Full List of Schools

From the beauty of the Great Lakes to the vibrant cultural landscape of Chicago, there’s lots to love about the Prairie State. Whether you’re local to the Land of Lincoln or simply interested in studying there, Illinois has a variety of top-quality colleges and universities.

Whatever field you want to study, Illinois has something to offer you. Here are some of the best colleges in Illinois and what studying there might mean for you.

We’ve compiled a full list of all four-year nonprofit schools in Illinois. You can search for specific colleges in Illinois and view information on student enrollment, average net cost, and more.

Note that schools that do not admit full-time first-time degree-seeking students or had a total undergraduate enrollment of fewer than 500 were not considered for this list. All data below comes from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES).

Given how expensive a college education can be, it’s important to figure out how much it will cost you to study in Illinois. Studying in state is usually the cheapest option; however, some online programs charge the same tuition rate regardless of your state residency.

If you plan to study at an online college in Illinois, be sure to check your prospective schools’ online tuition policies to see whether you can benefit from in-state tuition rates.

If you’re looking for ways to save on tuition, scholarships are a great way to minimize your college costs. There are a variety of state-specific funds available to help offset the cost of your undergraduate education. Here are a few opportunities for scholarships in Illinois.

For undergraduates at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a demonstrated commitment to social and community service, University YMCA offers the $4,000 Fred S. Bailey Scholarship.

You should be enrolled in the coming term and have demonstrated a positive impact through social service.

Graduating high school seniors in Cook County, Illinois, are eligible for the Pullman Foundation Scholarship. Scholars receive up to $10,000 per year for up to four years to attend college anywhere in the U.S. You need a GPA of 3.0 or higher.

Aspiring teachers in Illinois are eligible for the Golden Apple Scholars program, with up to $23,000 in total funding. You must be a high school senior or first- or second-year student at an accredited college in Illinois looking to enter a career in K-12 teaching.

For graduates of Hope Chicago’s five partner schools within Chicago Public Schools, the Hope Chicago Scholarship offers funding to help you finish college debt-free. You must be admitted to a two- or four-year institution and may apply regardless of GPA.

Accreditation is what gives your degree legitimacy, which is why it’s absolutely crucial for you to attend an accredited college. For a college to be accredited, it needs to meet standards of academic rigor and legitimacy laid out by a recognized third-party accrediting agency.

In Illinois, one of the largest recognized accreditors is the Higher Learning Commission. For distance-learning institutions, look for schools accredited by the Distance Education Accrediting Commission.

To learn more about accreditation in the U.S., check out the Council for Higher Education Accreditation, a national advocacy association focused on higher ed accreditation.

According to NCES, there are 152 degree-granting institutions in Illinois. These include 60 public schools, 77 nonprofit private schools, and 15 for-profit colleges.

There are many academic programs to choose from in Illinois. You should consider the difference between nonprofit and for-profit colleges when researching options.

The University of Illinois system consists of three universities, enrolling about 95,000 students total. The system includes universities in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago, and Springfield. At the University of Illinois Chicago, you can find 16 colleges offering 95 bachelor’s, 100 master’s, and 63 doctoral degree programs.

The average cost of tuition and fees for in-state students at public four-year institutions in Illinois was $14,579 during the 2020-2021 academic year, according to NCES. Out-of-state students paid about $28,660, and room and board added an additional $11,673.

Tuition and fees for private universities cost, on average, $35,894. The average cost of in-state tuition and fees at two-year public institutions was $4,180, and nonresidents paid $11,166.

Additional costs include books and supplies, transportation, and personal expenses. Across the nation, the average cost of college in tuition and fees in 2020-2021 was $19,020.

You do not need to live in Illinois to attend an online college in Illinois. One of the appealing things about online college is that you can study from anywhere.

With that in mind, you should check if Illinois residents are eligible for in-state tuition at your online college. Also, see if the program is fully online or has hybrid elements like labs that will require you to come to campus.

The biggest college in Illinois is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. If you attend UIUC, you’ll be in good company: The school had 56,916 total students as of fall 2022. Because UIUC is a flagship state university, Illinois residents are eligible for in-state tuition here.

UIUC offers the Illinois Commitment program. This program covers the tuition and fees for qualifying in-state students for up to four years. You must be under 24 and enrolled in a full-time bachelor’s degree program, with family assets and earnings under certain guidelines.

Northeastern Illinois University offers the NEIU for You scholarship. This covers the cost of tuition for qualifying first-year, full-time students. You can also find other sources to help pay for your college, such as federal grants and federal work-study.