Illinois has 245 colleges including 101 four-year colleges, 66 community colleges, and 78 trade schools. By control type, 63 schools are public and 182 schools are private. 740,314 students enrolled in Illinois colleges according to IPEDS.
For 4-year colleges, commonly said to as colleges, there are 101 schools are active in Illinois (12 public and 89 private). 453,906 students enrolled in the schools, by gender, 184,148 men and 269,758 women students.
These colleges have an average acceptance rate of 74.11% and an average SAT score of 1,149. The average tuition & fees for in-state students is $13,730 and for out-of-state students is $19,559. The average enrollment is about 4,494 students per college. On average, each college offers about 71 programs.
The following table lists major colleges in Illinois that have high enrollment, good academic reputation, and recognized by Illinois residents. It includes 7 public institutions and 18 private institutions.
| Region | Prominent Institutions |
|---|---|
| Chicago / Northeastern Illinois | University of Chicago, Northwestern University, DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago, Illinois Institute of Technology, University of Illinois at Chicago |
| Central Illinois | University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, Illinois State University, Bradley University, Illinois Wesleyan University, Millikin University |
| Southern Illinois | Southern Illinois University Carbondale, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, McKendree University |
| Western Illinois | Western Illinois University, Knox College |
| Suburban / Collar Counties | Northern Illinois University, Elmhurst University, Wheaton College, North Central College, Lake Forest College |
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, located in Champaign, is generally considered the flagship institution in Illinois. It offers wide range of programs in both undergraduate and graduate levels, including 219 graduate programs and 22 online programs. Its total enrollment is approximately 59,238 including 9,212 online students.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has the highest enrollment among these colleges, with a student population of 59,238 students and Northwestern University offers the most number of programs of 448.
Of the major colleges in Illinois, 9 law schools and 6 medical schools are affiliated with these colleges. 6 colleges like University of Chicago and Northwestern University have both a law school and a medical school. You can check the law schools and medical schools in the table below.
| Name | Graduate Programs | Distance Learning | Tuition & Fees | Adm. Rate | SAT Score | Enroll | Offered Programs | Law School | Medical School |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago Chicago | Yes | No | $69,324 | 4.48% | 1550 | 18,566 | 222 | Visit | Visit |
| Northwestern University Evanston | Yes | Yes | $68,322 | 7.69% | 1540 | 23,856 | 448 | Visit | Visit |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign | Yes | Yes | $40,096 | 42.37% | 1440 | 59,238 | 382 | Visit | Visit |
| University of Illinois Chicago Chicago | Yes | Yes | $32,009 | 77.35% | 1240 | 33,906 | 288 | Visit | Visit |
| Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago | Yes | Yes | $52,202 | 54.93% | 1300 | 8,834 | 160 | Visit | |
| Loyola University Chicago Chicago | Yes | Yes | $53,710 | 81.60% | 1260 | 17,384 | 419 | Visit | Visit |
| Illinois State University Normal | Yes | Yes | $26,058 | 88.15% | 1100 | 21,546 | 172 | ||
| DePaul University Chicago | Yes | Yes | $45,405 | 75.89% | 1240 | 21,210 | 354 | Visit | |
| Wheaton College Wheaton | Yes | Yes | $45,546 | 87.40% | 1380 | 2,874 | 65 | ||
| Northern Illinois University Dekalb | Yes | Yes | $13,060 | 69.79% | 15,414 | 167 | Visit | ||
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale | Yes | Yes | $13,334 | 86.88% | 1040 | 11,790 | 276 | Visit | Visit |
| Lewis University Romeoville | Yes | Yes | $39,200 | 71.29% | 1080 | 7,011 | 133 | ||
| University of Illinois Springfield Springfield | Yes | Yes | $20,139 | 85.88% | 1070 | 4,628 | 71 | ||
| University of St Francis Joliet | Yes | Yes | $38,110 | 65.29% | 1130 | 3,074 | 92 | ||
| Aurora University Aurora | Yes | Yes | $29,170 | 80.85% | 1055 | 5,923 | 59 | ||
| Augustana College Rock Island | Yes | Yes | $51,598 | 62.68% | 1150 | 2,570 | 83 | ||
| Bradley University Peoria | Yes | Yes | $42,160 | 76.76% | 4,777 | 181 | |||
| Northeastern Illinois University Chicago | Yes | Yes | $22,726 | 74.60% | 5,734 | 80 | |||
| Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais | Yes | Yes | $38,900 | 55.86% | 1100 | 3,339 | 114 | ||
| Roosevelt University Chicago | Yes | Yes | $21,315 | 97.16% | 985 | 4,281 | 175 | ||
| Benedictine University Lisle | Yes | Yes | $32,648 | 95.23% | 2,917 | 108 | |||
| Illinois College Jacksonville | Yes | Yes | $38,676 | 78.19% | 1055 | 942 | 44 | ||
| Lake Forest College Lake Forest | Yes | Yes | $56,402 | 56.81% | 1320 | 1,837 | 44 | ||
| Judson University Elgin | Yes | Yes | $30,297 | 47.59% | 930 | 960 | 69 | ||
| North Park University Chicago | Yes | Yes | $36,710 | 68.51% | 2,557 | 74 |