Northeastern Illinois University has the lowest graduation rate, which is the percentage of graduate candidates who complete their degree or certificate within 150 percent of normal time (for example, within 6 years for 4-years BS degree). Its graduatation rate was 22% last year.
National Louis University with 30% and DeVry University-Illinois with 37% of graduation rates followed it in the ranking of Illinois Colleges with the Lowest Graduation Rate.
For the ranking, we exclude schools with fewer than 5,000 students.
The average undergraduate tuition & fees of the schools is $20,383 and graduate tuition & fees is $14,482 for the academic year 2024-2025.
At these Low Graduation Rate Illinois Colleges, the average acceptance rate is 81.95%, and the average SAT score is 1,045, making them not only cost-effective but also accessible options for a wide range of students.
| School Name | Graduation Rate | Undergraduate Tuition & Fees | Yield | Acceptance Rate | SAT Score | Total Population | Students to Faculty Ratio | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 - | Northeastern Illinois University Chicago, ILPublic, 4-year | 22.00% 6.00% | $22,726 ($12,383) | 8.49% | 74.60% | - | 5,734 | 9 to 1 |
| 2 - | National Louis University Chicago, ILPrivate, 4-year | 30.00% 6.00% | $13,245 | 18.41% | 95.05% | - | 8,915 | 17 to 1 |
| 3 1 | DeVry University-Illinois Lisle, ILPrivate, 4-year | 37.00% 1.00% | $17,008 | 77.79% | 98.38% | 860 | 31,296 | 43 to 1 |
| 4 - | Western Illinois University Macomb, ILPublic, 4-year | 45.00% 1.00% | $14,572 ($14,572) | 10.27% | 71.18% | - | 6,332 | 12 to 1 |
| 5 - | Eastern Illinois University Charleston, ILPublic, 4-year | 47.00% 2.00% | $15,859 ($13,377) | 9.81% | 65.35% | 1,000 | 8,505 | 14 to 1 |
| 6 1 | Northern Illinois University Dekalb, ILPublic, 4-year | 49.00% - | $13,060 ($13,060) | 12.06% | 69.79% | - | 15,414 | 15 to 1 |
| 7 1 | Columbia College Chicago Chicago, ILPrivate, 4-year | 52.00% 4.00% | $34,088 | 15.14% | 89.46% | - | 5,570 | 15 to 1 |
| 8 - | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville, ILPublic, 4-year | 57.00% 3.00% | $12,092 ($12,092) | 15.66% | 97.50% | 1,070 | 11,893 | 15 to 1 |
| 9 1 | Aurora University Aurora, ILPrivate, 4-year | 60.00% 2.00% | $29,170 | 15.55% | 80.85% | 1,055 | 5,923 | 18 to 1 |
| 10 1 | University of Illinois Chicago Chicago, ILPublic, 4-year | 62.00% 2.00% | $32,009 ($15,949) | 21.09% | 77.35% | 1,240 | 33,906 | 17 to 1 |
| Average | 46.10% | $20,383 ($13,572) | 20.43% | 81.95% | 1,045 | 13,349 | 18 to 1 |