In Illinois, there are a total of 740,314 students enrolled in higher education institutions. Of these, 454,760 attend public colleges and universities, while 285,554 are enrolled in private institutions. This comprehensive overview highlights the scale and diversity of college enrollment in Illinois, helping prospective students and families understand their options among the largest educational institutions.
Explore Largest Illinois Community Colleges with the Most Students, where 26,224 students are enrolled at College of DuPage, making it the largest institution in terms of enrollment.
Following closely, Joliet Junior College ranks second with 14,414 students, while William Rainey Harper College holds the third spot at 13,988. These institutions set the benchmark for large-scale education.
The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $12,379 and graduate tuition & fees is - for the academic year 2024-2025.
Our analysis includes colleges with at least 1,000 total enrollments and excludes online universities to provide a balanced overview. For a comprehensive list of online universities, visit the largest Illinois online colleges.
| School Name | Total Population | Undergraduate | Graduate | Men | Women | Online Enrollment | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - | College of DuPage Glen Ellyn, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 26,224 3,008 | 26,224 (100.00%) | - (0.00%) | 12,086 (46.09%) | 14,138 (53.91%) | 4,853 (18.51%) |
| 2 3 | Joliet Junior College Joliet, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 14,414 4,551 | 14,414 (100.00%) | - (-0.01%) | 6,275 (43.53%) | 8,139 (56.47%) | 1,467 (10.18%) |
| 3 1 | William Rainey Harper College Palatine, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 13,988 919 | 13,988 (100.00%) | - (-0.01%) | 6,091 (43.54%) | 7,897 (56.46%) | 2,136 (15.27%) |
| 4 1 | College of Lake County Grayslake, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 12,530 240 | 12,530 (100.00%) | - (-0.01%) | 5,372 (42.87%) | 7,158 (57.13%) | 2,542 (20.29%) |
| 5 1 | Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 11,296 152 | 11,296 (100.00%) | - (-0.01%) | 5,488 (48.58%) | 5,808 (51.42%) | 1,390 (12.31%) |
| 6 - | Elgin Community College Elgin, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 10,251 637 | 10,251 (100.00%) | - (-0.01%) | 4,617 (45.04%) | 5,634 (54.96%) | 1,268 (12.37%) |
| 7 - | Triton College River Grove, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 9,842 580 | 9,842 (100.00%) | - (-0.01%) | 4,891 (49.70%) | 4,951 (50.30%) | 827 (8.40%) |
| 8 - | McHenry County College Crystal Lake, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 9,399 348 | 9,399 (100.00%) | - (-0.01%) | 4,153 (44.19%) | 5,246 (55.81%) | 1,117 (11.88%) |
| 9 1 | City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College Chicago, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 9,303 1,292 | 9,303 (100.00%) | - (-0.01%) | 2,431 (26.13%) | 6,872 (73.87%) | 2,868 (30.83%) |
| 10 1 | Southwestern Illinois College Belleville, ILPublic, 2-4 year | 8,492 537 | 8,492 (100.00%) | - (-0.01%) | 3,701 (43.58%) | 4,791 (56.42%) | 1,276 (15.03%) |
| Average | 12,574 | 12,574 (100.00%) | - (0.00%) | 5,511 (43.82%) | 7,063 (56.18%) | 1,974 (15.70%) |