Best Public Colleges in Illinois 2024

Badge for BEST IN ILLINOIS PUBLIC COLLEGES

Updated: Oct 26, 2023

Public colleges and universities account for almost 75 percent of all undergraduate students in the U.S. The best public colleges in Illinois provide broad access to reputable degree programs, affordable tuition, and sprawling educational communities.

10 Best Public Colleges in Illinois

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Chicago
Northern Illinois University
Illinois State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Western Illinois University
University of Illinois Springfield
Eastern Illinois University
Chicago State University

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Chicago
Northern Illinois University
Illinois State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Chicago State University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Western Illinois University
Eastern Illinois University
University of Illinois Springfield

Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 98%
Southern Illinois University Carbondale 91%
Illinois State University 86%
University of Illinois Springfield 82%
University of Illinois Chicago 79%
Western Illinois University 75%
Northern Illinois University 71%
Eastern Illinois University 68%
Northeastern Illinois University 63%
Governors State University 57%

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 21 to 1
Illinois State University 19 to 1
University of Illinois Chicago 18 to 1
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 15 to 1
Eastern Illinois University 15 to 1
Northern Illinois University 14 to 1
Western Illinois University 13 to 1
University of Illinois Springfield 12 to 1
Chicago State University 11 to 1
Southern Illinois University Carbondale 11 to 1

Southern Illinois University Carbondale $15,416
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign $14,542
Western Illinois University $14,406
Northern Illinois University $12,662
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville $12,558
University of Illinois Chicago $12,396
Chicago State University $12,018
Illinois State University $10,907
Northeastern Illinois University $10,091
University of Illinois Springfield $9,758

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign $14,891
University of Illinois Chicago $14,181
Southern Illinois University Carbondale $11,268
Northern Illinois University $9,066
University of Illinois Springfield $8,858
Western Illinois University $8,609
Northeastern Illinois University $7,790
Illinois State University $7,694
Eastern Illinois University $7,691
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville $7,402

Northeastern Illinois University
Governors State University
Chicago State University
Eastern Illinois University
University of Illinois Springfield
Western Illinois University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Illinois State University
Northern Illinois University

Governors State University
Northeastern Illinois University
University of Illinois Springfield
Eastern Illinois University
Western Illinois University
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville
Chicago State University
Southern Illinois University Carbondale
Illinois State University
Northern Illinois University

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 45%
Chicago State University 49%
Governors State University 57%
Northeastern Illinois University 63%
Eastern Illinois University 68%
Northern Illinois University 71%
Western Illinois University 75%
University of Illinois Chicago 79%
University of Illinois Springfield 82%
Illinois State University 86%

Northeastern Illinois University 9 to 1
Governors State University 10 to 1
Chicago State University 11 to 1
Southern Illinois University Carbondale 11 to 1
University of Illinois Springfield 12 to 1
Western Illinois University 13 to 1
Northern Illinois University 14 to 1
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville 15 to 1
Eastern Illinois University 15 to 1
University of Illinois Chicago 18 to 1

Governors State University $7,512
Eastern Illinois University $9,417
University of Illinois Springfield $9,758
Northeastern Illinois University $10,091
Illinois State University $10,907
Chicago State University $12,018
University of Illinois Chicago $12,396
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville $12,558
Northern Illinois University $12,662
Western Illinois University $14,406

Chicago State University $5,976
Governors State University $6,354
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville $7,402
Eastern Illinois University $7,691
Illinois State University $7,694
Northeastern Illinois University $7,790
Western Illinois University $8,609
University of Illinois Springfield $8,858
Northern Illinois University $9,066
Southern Illinois University Carbondale $11,268

Table of Contents

Colleges and Universities in Illinois

Prospective students searching for colleges in Illinois have plenty of excellent schools to choose from. Illinois offers over 130 higher education institutes throughout the state. Thanks to an expansive public university system and several top private institutions, students can select from an extremely wide array of brick-and-mortar and online colleges in Illinois.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and the University of Illinois at Chicago, the state’s two largest public universities in Illinois. Students can access a full spectrum of undergraduate and graduate degrees for in-state tuition rates of $13,000 to $15,000 respectively. Both public universities also offer a full selection of online degree programs.

It’s also worth noting that Illinois residents who pursue online degrees at public colleges in Illinois will qualify for in-state tuition rates. Out of state students will generally pay more whether pursuing on-campus or online degrees.

Find college admissions consultants in your state.

More than half of the colleges in Illinois are actually private schools. Among these private colleges and universities, the most notable are DePaul University, Northwestern University, and Loyola University Chicago. Tuition from these three private schools can be costly, ranging from $44,000 to $55,000. However, each of these private schools boasts a high graduation rate and excellent professors.

Illinois is also home to many small private schools, including Benedictine University and National Louis University.

Popular disciplines in Illinois include disciplines like criminal justice, social work, nursing, education, religious studies, communications, and medicine. Both traditional and online students have a wide range of options in each of these subject areas.

Degree completion programs are also widely available for lapsed students who have already accumulated some college credits. This is an especially popular online degree option among working professionals in Illinois.

Additionally, Illinois offers several loan forgiveness-based financial aid programs for qualifying students pursuing careers as teachers, public defenders or prosecutors, or nurses.

From the skyscrapers in Chicago to the vast prairie lands in the north, Illinois is a place where city meets country. Students can grab a Chicago-style hotdog on the way to a Cubs game, explore the ancient sandstone cliffs in the Shawnee National Forest, or admire an exhibit at the Art Institute of Chicago, all while attending one of The Prairie State’s universities or colleges.

The higher education institutes in Illinois have also produced many prominent alumni, including Stephen Colbert, Phillip Glass, and Kurt Vonnegut. Students hoping to walk the same streets as these well-known individuals can check out some of the state’s top programs and universities.

What are Illinois’s Colleges & Universities?

Illinois’s Best Overall

What is the difference between public and private colleges?

Public and private colleges and universities operate under different business models. Public colleges and universities are owned by the state and receive both state and federal funding to operate. Private colleges and universities are private companies with private funding. If you’re looking at the pros and cons of private vs. public colleges, consider that many public colleges provide diverse course offerings, influential professors, and an excellent return on your investment.

Public colleges are schools that receive most of their funding from tax revenues. As a result, the cost of a bachelor’s degree at a public university is often lower than the equivalent cost at a private college — especially for students attending a public school in their home state. Attending a college in-state is usually the cheapest option. Private universities and colleges can be very competitive with their funding opportunities, so do not simply believe that private colleges are always going to be more expensive. According to National Center for Educational Statistics, the average annual cost (tuition, fees, room and board for full-time students) at a public university was slightly over $20,000. In contrast, private universities cost, on average, nearly $43,000 annually. But in the end, the cost of college comes down to each student’s academic and financial situation.

This list is composed entirely of public colleges and universities that offer bachelor’s degrees. We’ve identified 12 public universities in Illinois. To be included in our list of the best public colleges in Illinois, shcools must receive direct funding from the state, be fully accredited, and offer a broad range of bachelor’s degress.

How do we determine Illinois's best public colleges and universities?

Methodology

The people affiliated with a school are ultimately what make it great! If you are serious about finding the best colleges and universities for a bachelor’s degree, you should be asking where the most influential professors are teaching and whether their graduates are themselves advancing the school’s reputation for academic excellence in their fields of study.

Most ranking sites rely on an opaque combination of reputation surveys and arbitrary performance metrics. Concentrated Influence provides a ranking that is freer from bias, insulated from manipulation, and reflective of real-world educational outcomes.

To rank the influence of schools, we first determine the influence of scholars and professionals based on the number of citations and publications they have had over the past 10 years. In addition to publications and citations, we consider the web links to and from these sources, and the page views of those sources. We then match the influential people to their alma maters and institutions of employment, so that their influence is attributed to those schools. Our machine-learning Influence Ranking algorithm produces a numerical score of academic achievements, merits, and citations across Wikipedia, wikidata, Crossref, Semantic Scholar and an ever-growing body of data. If you are interested in exploring how and why we rank by influence, explore our methodology in more depth.

Best Public Colleges in Illinois 2023

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Illinois’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest

2021 Ranking Archive

Many of our 2024 undergraduate focused rankings look considerably different than 2023. That’s because we took a fundamentally different approach. For 2024 we utilized our Concentrated Influence algorithm, designed to take away the size advantage larger schools have when we rank their faculty and alumni’s academic influence. Concentrated influence highlights smaller schools that are proportionally as successful as larger universities at cultivating influential alumni and faculty.

Check out our directory of public colleges throughout the U.S. for a look at the top public colleges in every state.

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Best Public Colleges in Illinois 2024

10 Best Public Colleges in Illinois

Colleges and Universities in Illinois

What are Illinois’s Colleges & Universities?

Best Public Colleges in Illinois 2023

Career Outlook for degree at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at University of Illinois Chicago

Most Influential Alumni

University of Illinois Chicago’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Northern Illinois University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Illinois State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Southern Illinois University Carbondale

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Western Illinois University

Most Influential Alumni

Western Illinois University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at University of Illinois Springfield

Most Influential Alumni

University of Illinois Springfield’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Eastern Illinois University

Most Influential Alumni

Eastern Illinois University’s Online Degrees

Degree Concentrations

Career Outlook for degree at Chicago State University

Most Influential Alumni

Career Outlook for degree at Governors State University

Most Influential Alumni

Governors State University’s Online Degrees

Career Outlook for degree at Northeastern Illinois University

Most Influential Alumni

Illinois’s Best Public College in Your Area of Interest