Best Colleges in Illinois

Why Should I Consider Studying in Illinois?

If you’ve heard of Michael Jordan, you’ve heard of the bulls and the great city of Chicago. Illinois is home to Chicago and many other great cities, and provides an unique experience to people from many walks of life.

The state is home to many of the most well known colleges in the nation, and particularly the midwest. In particular, the University of Chicago, which has exceptional business, law and science programs. Similarly, there’s Northwestern University which likewise has very high marks for these same disciplines. In fact, the schools (along with the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign) have graduated some of the more recognizable names in all of finance over the years.

Illinois is home to Illinois State University and DePaul University, which both provide smaller classes historically, as well as Loyola University which tends to provide a more intimate educational experience. That being said, all three still provide a mountain of majors that allow for broad exploration to the eager mind that’s still not sure about where they’re headed professionally.

The state is home to several iconic American cities, as mentioned, but also has an unique blend of urban and rural experiences - and enjoys some exceptionally large music festivals during the warmer months. All the bonuses having been mentioned, students should be aware of the exceptionally cold temperatures in the winter months, although fortunately there are plenty of skiing and snowboarding options. Not to mention, the downside of the cold is also somewhat offset by the amazing outdoors that can be enjoyed during the long summer months.

Home to various large cities, the state provides numerous employment options for those determined seekers, and internships with some of America’s largest companies are typically in surplus during the winter months, so it might be wise to get hunting before the freezes start to thaw.

Illinois Higher Education By The Numbers

Colleges in Illinois

Illinois has the 7th most colleges in the United States of America with 225 colleges. For a little perspective, that is 142 more colleges than the median state. 29% of colleges in Illinois are public, and 71% of its colleges are private. (66 public colleges & 159 private colleges). It has the 15th highest private to public college ratio of any state.

Our favorite colleges in Illinois are University of Chicago, Northwestern University, and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has more students than any other public colleges in Illinois' top 25 colleges (57,324). DePaul University has the most students of any private college in our top 25 (25,937).

Students in Illinois

The most popular state has 3,747,479 college students. Illinois has 73% fewer (2,733,220 students). There are 678,156 public college students and 336,103 private college students in Illinois. It has fewer public college students than 5 states and more private college students than 44 states. Its 1,014,259 total students make it the 5th most popular choice in the US. 33% of students in Illinois attend private schools which is the 18th highest percentage around the nation.