Best Illinois National Universities
University of Chicago ranked first and Northwestern University ranked second in 2025 National Universities rankings in Illinois. (Read our ranking methodology and know how to rank.)
The following list summarizes the core statistics for top 16 National Universities in Illinois. You can check the schools in the comparison table below.
- The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the top 16 National Universities in Illinois is $52,438.
- The average graduate tuition & fees of the top 16 National Universities in Illinois is $46,365.
- The average SAT score is 1,443 and the average acceptance rate is 32.97%.
- The average number of students is 33,892 and the students to faculty ratio is 12 to 1.
- The average graduation rate is 84.50%.
Best Illinois National Universities Comparison Table
The following table shows Best Illinois National Universities. You can sort the table by column by clicking/touching column titles and narrow down the college list by using buttons below.
| Rank | College Name | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Graduate Tuition & Fees | SAT Score | Acceptance Rate | Population | Graduation Rate | Student to Faculty Ratio |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Chicago Chicago, IL | $69,324 | $68,652 | 1,550 | 4% | 18,566 | 96% | 5 to 1 |
| 2 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | $68,322 | $54,655 | 1,540 | 8% | 23,856 | 95% | 6 to 1 |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $40,096 | $34,406 | 1,440 | 42% | 59,238 | 85% | 20 to 1 |
| 4 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | $32,009 | $27,748 | 1,240 | 77% | 33,906 | 62% | 17 to 1 |
| 5 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | $53,710 | $21,912 | 1,260 | 82% | 17,384 | 73% | 13 to 1 |
| 6 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | $52,202 | $35,222 | 1,300 | 55% | 8,834 | 75% | 14 to 1 |
| 7 | Bradley University Peoria, IL | $42,160 | $20,440 | - | 77% | 4,777 | 76% | 11 to 1 |
| 8 | University of St Francis Joliet, IL | $38,110 | $14,757 | 1,130 | 65% | 3,074 | 67% | 15 to 1 |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL | $13,334 | $31,122 | 1,040 | 87% | 11,790 | 62% | 11 to 1 |
| 10 | Illinois State University Normal, IL | $26,058 | $13,062 | 1,100 | 88% | 21,546 | 65% | 19 to 1 |
| 11 | Aurora University Aurora, IL | $29,170 | $16,463 | 1,055 | 81% | 5,923 | 60% | 18 to 1 |
| 12 | DePaul University Chicago, IL | $45,405 | $23,358 | 1,240 | 76% | 21,210 | 68% | 17 to 1 |
| 13 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | $13,060 | $9,176 | - | 70% | 15,414 | 49% | 15 to 1 |
| 14 | Roosevelt University Chicago, IL | $21,315 | $20,935 | 985 | 97% | 4,281 | 35% | 11 to 1 |
| 15 | National Louis University Chicago, IL | $13,245 | $13,453 | - | 95% | 8,915 | 30% | 17 to 1 |
| 16 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, IL | $12,092 | $10,488 | 1,070 | 98% | 11,893 | 57% | 15 to 1 |
| Average | $52,438 | $46,365 | 1,443 | 33% | 33,892 | 85% | 12 to 1 |
Illinois Colleges by Ranking and School Type