35 IL Schools Among Money’s Best Colleges In America 2023

ILLINOIS ­­— Thirty-five institutions in Illinois were recently named to Money Magazine’s Best Colleges In America list, an analysis that looks at graduation rates, tuition, financial aid, and alumni salaries.

Rather than ranking the colleges, Money said it used a six-star rating system to develop the list of 736 colleges “where your tuition (and time) is likely to pay off.”

“While the underlying methodology is similar to previous years, the new rating system can help families with their college search by highlighting the variety (and diversity) of high-value colleges in the U.S.,” Money said, “We hope the ratings show that, depending on your individual characteristics, priorities and goals, there may be multiple top colleges to consider.”

In Illinois, colleges selected for the list include:

Aurora University

• Acceptance rate: 86 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $43,700
• Estimated price with average grant: $18,700
• Graduation rate: 63 percent

Bradley University

• Acceptance rate: 76 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $53,900
• Estimated price with average grant: $27,100
• Graduation rate: 77 percent

DePaul University

• Acceptance rate: 69 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $63,900
• Estimated price with average grant: $34,200
• Graduation rate: 72 percent

Dominican University

• Acceptance rate: 81 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $51,400
• Estimated price with average grant: $19,800
• Graduation rate: 67 percent

Eastern Illinois University

• Acceptance rate: 72 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $27,000
• Estimated price with average grant: $14,700
• Graduation rate: 58 percent

Elmhurst University

• Acceptance rate: 71 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $57,900
• Estimated price with average grant: $25,700
• Graduation rate: 72 percent

Eureka College

• Acceptance rate: 87 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $42,700
• Estimated price with average grant: $22,400
• Graduation rate: 59 percent

Greenville University

• Acceptance rate: 80 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $45,800
• Estimated price with average grant: $23,400
• Graduation rate: 60 percent

Illinois College

• Acceptance rate: 75 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $48,700
• Estimated price with average grant: $20,300
• Graduation rate: 64 percent

Illinois Institute of Technology

• Acceptance rate: 66 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $74,500
• Estimated price with average grant: $28,700
• Graduation rate: 73 percent

Illinois State University

• Acceptance rate: 92 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $33,700
• Estimated price with average grant: $22,500
• Graduation rate: 72 percent

Illinois Wesleyan University

• Acceptance rate: 45 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $70,300
• Estimated price with average grant: $32,800
• Graduation rate: 77 percent

Judson University

• Acceptance rate: 62 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $46,700
• Estimated price with average grant: $19,600
• Graduation rate: 60 percent

Knox College

• Acceptance rate: 70 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $67,300
• Estimated price with average grant: $27,300
• Graduation rate: 72 percent

Lake Forest College

• Acceptance rate: 64 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $69,600
• Estimated price with average grant: $27,900
• Graduation rate: 77 percent

Lewis University

• Acceptance rate: 71 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $52,800
• Estimated price with average grant: $19,600
• Graduation rate: 71 percent

Loyola University

• Acceptance rate: 77 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $68,900
• Estimated price with average grant: $31,500
• Graduation rate: 73 percent

Millikin University

• Acceptance rate: 75 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $58,000
• Estimated price with average grant: $21,500
• Graduation rate: 63 percent

Monmouth College

• Acceptance rate: 66 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $57,500
• Estimated price with average grant: $19,200
• Graduation rate: 64 percent

National Louis University

• Acceptance rate: 97 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $33,900
• Estimated price with average grant: $15,700
• Graduation rate: 54 percent

North Central College

• Acceptance rate: 68 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $59,700
• Estimated price with average grant: $28,100
• Graduation rate: 69 percent

North Park University

• Acceptance rate: 67 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $49,100
• Estimated price with average grant: $21,700
• Graduation rate: 61 percent

Northern Illinois University

• Acceptance rate: 70 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $28,500
• Estimated price with average grant: $14,200
• Graduation rate: 58 percent

Northwestern University

• Acceptance rate: 7 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $87,900
• Estimated price with average grant: $32,200
• Graduation rate: 94 percent

Olivet Nazarene University

• Acceptance rate: 61 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $52,900
• Estimated price with average grant: $21,900
• Graduation rate: 65 percent

Saint Xavier University

• Acceptance rate: 85 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $52,400
• Estimated price with average grant: $14,400
• Graduation rate: 61 percent

School of the Art Institute of Chicago

• Acceptance rate: 81 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $77,000
• Estimated price with average grant: $53,800
• Graduation rate: 69 percent

Southern Illinois University

• Acceptance rate: 95 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $31,300
• Estimated price with average grant: $17,100
• Graduation rate: 56 percent

Trinity Christian College

• Acceptance rate: 76 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $49,900
• Estimated price with average grant: $15,800
• Graduation rate: 66 percent

University of Illinois-Chicago

• Acceptance rate: 79 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $32,700
• Estimated price with average grant: $11,500
• Graduation rate: 67 percent

University of Illinois-Springfield

• Acceptance rate: 79 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $27,500
• Estimated price with average grant: $12,800
• Graduation rate: 57 percent

University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana

• Acceptance rate: 60 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $33,200
• Estimated price with average grant: $15,300
• Graduation rate: 86 percent

University of St. Francis

• Acceptance rate: 68 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $51,400
• Estimated price with average grant: $18,200
• Graduation rate: 69 percent

Western Illinois University

• Acceptance rate: 72 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $28,700
• Estimated price with average grant: $12,500
• Graduation rate: 59 percent

Wheaton College

• Acceptance rate: 86 percent
• 2023-24 estimated full price: $57,300
• Estimated price with average grant: $30,400
• Graduation rate: 88 percent

In many cases, Money said, the cost of college is a primary reason students choose not to attend college or struggle to graduate once they do. Overall, freshmen starting at a four-year college this fall will pay an average of $20,000 a year at public universities and $30,000 at private colleges if they receive financial aid.

Money started with more than 2,400 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges with at least 500 undergraduate students. To be considered, schools also had to meet graduation rate standards and meet other criteria.

Considering 26 data points, the schools were ranked in three categories:

• Quality of education (30 percent weighting);
• Affordability (40 percent weighting)
• Outcomes, including alumni earnings (30 percent weighting)

The full methodology is found on Money’s website.