Colleges in Illinois
58 colleges in Illinois that award bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates: 12 public and 46 private. Among colleges where most degrees awarded are bachelor's, the lowest average net price is at University of Illinois Springfield ($9,833 a year after grants). Numbers are averages for students receiving federal aid; open a school to see what a family at your income pays.
| College | City | Type | Undergrads | Acceptance | Avg. net price | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustana College | Rock Island | Private | 2,490 | 63% | $22,736 | 73% | $62,971 |
| Aurora University | Aurora | Private | 3,974 | 81% | $18,838 | 60% | $58,709 |
| Benedictine University | Lisle | Private | 1,942 | 95% | $22,313 | 50% | $63,446 |
| Blackburn College | Carlinville | Private | 471 | 63% | $18,460 | 57% | $46,802 |
| Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences | Quincy | Private | 176 | — | — | — | $72,430 |
| Bradley University | Peoria | Private | 3,574 | 77% | $22,719 | 76% | $66,852 |
| Chicago State University | Chicago | Public | 1,384 | 43% | $12,335 | 15% | $42,778 |
| Columbia College Chicago | Chicago | Private | 5,368 | 89% | $26,598 | 52% | $42,195 |
| Concordia University-Chicago | River Forest | Private | 1,323 | 93% | $18,436 | 36% | $54,089 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | Private | 14,090 | 76% | $30,902 | 68% | $68,751 |
| Dominican University | River Forest | Private | 2,561 | 90% | $11,745 | 55% | $60,327 |
| East-West University | Chicago | Private | 468 | — | $21,697 | 16% | $29,963 |
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston | Public | 4,188 | 65% | $12,786 | 47% | $51,989 |
| Elmhurst University | Elmhurst | Private | 3,006 | 74% | $24,185 | 70% | $61,462 |
| Eureka College | Eureka | Private | 522 | 85% | $17,349 | 42% | $51,641 |
| Governors State University | University Park | Public | 2,556 | 48% | $12,329 | 22% | $58,169 |
| Greenville University | Greenville | Private | 955 | 98% | $19,533 | 40% | $46,827 |
| Illinois College | Jacksonville | Private | 930 | 78% | $18,298 | 64% | $52,575 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago | Private | 2,833 | 55% | $18,425 | 75% | $82,592 |
| Illinois State University | Normal | Public | 19,057 | 88% | $19,398 | 65% | $62,117 |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington | Private | 1,582 | 39% | $28,199 | 75% | $70,871 |
| Judson University | Elgin | Private | 708 | 48% | $18,558 | 60% | $56,313 |
| Knox College | Galesburg | Private | 1,127 | 71% | $24,595 | 68% | $54,820 |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest | Private | 1,813 | 57% | $28,673 | 78% | $61,825 |
| Lewis University | Romeoville | Private | 4,015 | 71% | $17,028 | 67% | $66,099 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | Private | 11,737 | 82% | $36,079 | 73% | $71,530 |
| McKendree University | Lebanon | Private | 1,752 | 72% | $24,717 | 53% | $58,572 |
| Methodist College | Peoria | Private | 245 | 39% | $41,787 | 20% | $69,800 |
| Millikin University | Decatur | Private | 1,382 | 67% | $21,989 | 55% | $51,262 |
| Monmouth College | Monmouth | Private | 702 | 91% | $17,133 | 65% | $51,110 |
| Moody Bible Institute | Chicago | Private | 1,510 | 83% | $22,221 | 62% | $45,399 |
| National Louis University | Chicago | Private | 4,406 | 95% | $12,641 | 30% | $45,799 |
| North Central College | Naperville | Private | 2,428 | 77% | $21,044 | 64% | $60,123 |
| North Park University | Chicago | Private | 1,818 | 69% | $16,948 | 58% | $59,572 |
| Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago | Public | 3,982 | 75% | $14,109 | 22% | $52,234 |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | Public | 11,301 | 70% | $13,391 | 49% | $57,808 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston | Private | 9,201 | 8% | $29,167 | 95% | $89,363 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais | Private | 2,603 | 56% | $20,729 | 61% | $53,213 |
| Principia College | Elsah | Private | 339 | 44% | — | 74% | — |
| Quincy University | Quincy | Private | 1,010 | 51% | $20,359 | 45% | $50,369 |
| Rockford University | Rockford | Private | 972 | 93% | $22,436 | 47% | $54,794 |
| Roosevelt University | Chicago | Private | 2,849 | 97% | $20,194 | 35% | $48,712 |
| Rush University | Chicago | Private | 138 | — | — | — | $75,194 |
| Saint Anthony College of Nursing | Rockford | Private | 172 | 100% | — | — | $77,709 |
| Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | Peoria | Private | 273 | — | — | — | $72,850 |
| Saint Xavier University | Chicago | Private | 3,096 | 84% | $10,970 | 57% | $58,656 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago | Private | 2,805 | 77% | $49,790 | 67% | $40,151 |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Edwardsville | Public | 8,750 | 98% | $14,889 | 57% | $56,346 |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | Carbondale | Public | 8,494 | 87% | $13,297 | 62% | $53,390 |
| St. John's College-Department of Nursing | Springfield | Private | 126 | — | — | — | $86,331 |
| Trinity Christian College | Palos Heights | Private | 820 | 85% | $19,125 | 58% | $55,700 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago | Private | 7,569 | 4% | $14,860 | 96% | $91,885 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | Public | 22,170 | 77% | $10,974 | 62% | $68,740 |
| University of Illinois Springfield | Springfield | Public | 2,263 | 86% | $9,833 | 53% | $57,103 |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign | Public | 36,258 | 42% | $14,355 | 85% | $81,054 |
| University of St Francis | Joliet | Private | 1,223 | 65% | $13,006 | 67% | $63,926 |
| Western Illinois University | Macomb | Public | 4,410 | 71% | $12,937 | 45% | $54,163 |
| Wheaton College | Wheaton | Private | 2,121 | 87% | $26,975 | 85% | $63,756 |
U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard, latest reported year. Graduation within 6 years; earnings are the median 10 years after starting college.
Best value in Illinois for your income
The Illinois colleges that pay back fastest for a family at your income: what it costs to finish after grants, set against how much more former students earn than high school graduates in Illinois. Pick your income.
| # | College | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Earnings, 10 yrs | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of ChicagoPrivate | $226 | $929 | $91,885 | under 1 |
| 2 | Northwestern UniversityPrivate | $7,898 | $32,382 | $89,363 | under 1 |
| 3 | University of Illinois Urbana-ChampaignPublic, in-state price | $7,982 | $33,125 | $81,054 | under 1 |
| 4 | University of Illinois ChicagoPublic, in-state price | $10,921 | $48,162 | $68,740 | 1.5 |
| 5 | University of St FrancisPrivate | $10,749 | $46,436 | $63,926 | 1.7 |
| 6 | Lewis UniversityPrivate | $12,178 | $51,757 | $66,099 | 1.7 |
| 7 | Illinois Institute of TechnologyPrivate | $17,217 | $79,026 | $82,592 | 1.7 |
| 8 | Saint Xavier UniversityPrivate | $9,715 | $41,094 | $58,656 | 1.8 |
| 9 | University of Illinois SpringfieldPublic, in-state price | $9,520 | $41,222 | $57,103 | 1.9 |
| 10 | Dominican UniversityPrivate | $11,891 | $50,418 | $60,327 | 2.1 |
Colleges where most degrees awarded are bachelor's, ranked by years of earnings gain needed to repay the cost to finish at this income. Cost to finish = net price after grants × the average years graduates took (IPEDS). Earnings gain = former students' median earnings 10 years after starting (College Scorecard) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in Illinois (Census ACS 2020-2024). Before taxes, interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
Common Data Set in Illinois
The Common Data Set is the standard form colleges fill out each year about admissions, the entering class and financial aid. It shows what a college weighs when deciding, its early decision and waitlist numbers, and how much aid it gives students with and without need. What it is and how to use it.
We have checked 25 Illinois colleges so far, starting with the largest (most recently on Oct 11, 2026). 14 are on our pages; 3 more have posted one we are adding. We are still confirming 8 more.
On our pages (14)
- Aurora University2025-26 edition on our pages
- Columbia College Chicago2025-26 edition on our pages
- DePaul University2025-26 edition on our pages
- Dominican University2025-26 edition on our pages
- Eastern Illinois University2025-26 edition on our pages
- Governors State University2025-26 edition on our pages
- Illinois Institute of Technology2023-24 edition on our pages
- Loyola University Chicago2025-26 edition on our pages
- Northeastern Illinois University2024-25 edition on our pages
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale2025-26 edition on our pages
- University of Chicago2025-26 edition on our pages
- University of Illinois Chicago2025-26 edition on our pages
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign2025-26 edition on our pages
- Western Illinois University2024-25 edition on our pages
Posted; we're adding it (3)
- Bradley University2025-26 edition posted; we're adding it
- Illinois State University2025-26 edition posted; we're adding it
- Northwestern University2025-26 edition posted; we're adding it
A college is listed as having no Common Data Set only after a person has checked its website. Colleges: if yours posts one we missed, send the link to rick@educationguide.com. How to ask a college for its Common Data Set.
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