Best Illinois National Universities
University of Chicago ranked first and Northwestern University ranked second in 2024 National Universities rankings in Illinois. (Read our ranking methodology and know how to rank.)
The following list summarizes the core statistics for top 12 National Universities in Illinois. You can check the schools in the comparison table below.
- The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the top 12 National Universities in Illinois is $50,046.
- The average graduate tuition & fees of the top 12 National Universities in Illinois is $39,802.
- The average SAT score is 1,386 and the average acceptance rate is 46.12%.
- The average number of students is 26,001 and the students to faculty ratio is 13 to 1.
- The average graduation rate is 80.17% and the transfer-out rate is 17.50%.
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 | $66,939 | $66,543 | 1,540 | 5% | 18,339 | 95% | 5 to 1 |
| 2 | Northwestern University Evanston, IL | $65,997 | $53,871 | 1,530 | 7% | 23,161 | 96% | 6 to 1 |
| 3 | Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago, IL | $51,763 | $33,810 | 1,310 | 61% | 6,943 | 75% | 13 to 1 |
| 4 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign, IL | $34,501 | $33,640 | 1,440 | 45% | 56,916 | 84% | 21 to 1 |
| 5 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, IL | $29,360 | $28,641 | 1,220 | 79% | 33,747 | 61% | 18 to 1 |
| 6 | Loyola University Chicago Chicago, IL | $51,716 | $22,305 | 1,275 | 79% | 16,899 | 70% | 13 to 1 |
| 7 | Illinois State University Normal, IL | $28,086 | $12,646 | 1,090 | 86% | 20,683 | 66% | 19 to 1 |
| 8 | Benedictine University Lisle, IL | $34,290 | $20,258 | - | 93% | 3,123 | 53% | 13 to 1 |
| 9 | Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale, IL | $13,244 | $31,050 | 1,030 | 92% | 11,107 | 49% | 11 to 1 |
| 10 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, IL | $12,700 | $9,090 | - | 71% | 15,649 | 53% | 14 to 1 |
| 11 | DePaul University Chicago, IL | $44,460 | $22,525 | 1,190 | 70% | 20,917 | 69% | 17 to 1 |
| 12 | Trinity International University-Illinois Deerfield, IL | $12,320 | $18,520 | 1,025 | 91% | 1,242 | 49% | 12 to 1 |
| Average | $50,046 | $39,802 | 1,386 | 46% | 26,001 | 80% | 13 to 1 |
Illinois Colleges by Ranking and School Type