Here Are The Best IL Colleges, According To New Rankings

ILLINOIS — Northwestern University is the best college in Illinois, according to rankings released Monday by Niche, a college ranking and review platform. In all, three universities in Illinois were ranked among the best.

Niche said its 2024 Best Colleges Rankings reflect the declining importance of SAT and ACT scores and the increasing importance prospective students and their families place on value and economic mobility — that is, the ability of students to improve their economic status after graduation.

The platform evaluated 4,048 public and private four-year colleges nationwide and developed separate lists for the best academic value, food, dorms, and college life.

Northwestern ranked highest in the nation among Illinois schools and came in as the country’s 15th top university, according to the study. The University of Chicago came in at No. 23 while the University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana ranked 50th on the national list.

The top five colleges in Illinois are:

1. Northwestern University

• Overall Niche grade: A+
• Acceptance rate: 7 percent
• Net price: $29,900
• SAT range: 1470-1570

2. University of Chicago

• Overall Niche grade: A+
• Acceptance rate: 6 percent
• Net price: $33,727
• SAT range: 1510-1580

3. University of Illinois Champaign-Urbana

• Overall Niche grade: A+
• Acceptance rate: 60 percent
• Net price: $14,272
• SAT range: 1320-1572

4. Wheaton College

• Overall Niche grade: A
• Acceptance rate: _86 percent
• Net price: $28,319
• SAT range: 1250-1430

5. University of Illinois Chicago

• Overall Niche grade: A-
• Acceptance rate: 79 percent
• Net price: $10,725
• SAT range: 1080-1310

To rank the schools, Niche analyzed data from the U.S. Department of Education along with reviews and ratings from current students, alumni, and parents. The new economic mobility index takes into account the percentage of students receiving Pell Grants, the net tuition price for students from low-income households and the median earnings of those students six years after they get their first post-graduation jobs.

The top schools nationwide are, respectively: Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut;

Stanford University, Stanford, California; Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge; Harvard University, Cambridge; and Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey.

The best value colleges are, respectively, Harvey Mudd College, Claremont, California; Stanford University; Massachusetts Institute of Technology; California Institute of Technology, Pasadena; and Clarmont-McKenna College.

Northwestern ranked as the 26th-best top value school in the country followed by the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (33rd), the University of Illinois Chicago, which ranked 77th, and the University of Chicago, which came in at No. 99.