Colleges in Illinois
13 Illinois colleges grouped by how selective they are. Tiers are broad bands, not admission odds.
4 Other public universities · 9 Private
Most SelectiveUnder ~15% acceptance
Selective~30-50% acceptance
Moderately Selective~50-75% acceptance
Accessible75%+ acceptance
Illinois colleges by field
Schools in Illinois with a widely recognized strength in each field. Not exhaustive, see each field's page for colleges in every state.
What a balanced Illinois list can look like
Most counselors suggest mixing a few reaches, several realistic targets, and at least one or two likely schools. This illustration is built only from tiers and picks schools alphabetically, it isn't a recommendation for any student. Your own grades, scores, and intended major should drive the real list.
Other states
- California
- New Jersey
- New York
- Texas
- Florida
- Pennsylvania
- Massachusetts
- Ohio
- Georgia
- North Carolina
- Michigan
- Virginia
- Maryland
- Washington
- Arizona
- Colorado
- Indiana
- Tennessee
- Wisconsin
- Minnesota
- Missouri
- Connecticut
- South Carolina
- Alabama
- Oregon
- Kentucky
- Utah
- District of Columbia
- Louisiana
- Oklahoma
- Iowa
- Rhode Island
- Kansas
- Nebraska
- New Hampshire
- Delaware
- Arkansas
- Mississippi
- Nevada
- New Mexico
- Maine
- Vermont
- Hawaii
- West Virginia
- Idaho
- Montana
- Wyoming
- North Dakota
- South Dakota
- Alaska
Frequently asked questions
How many Illinois colleges are in the MajorAtlas College Finder?+
13 colleges in Illinois are currently listed. It's a curated starting set, not every college in the state, so a school's absence doesn't mean anything about its quality.
Which Illinois colleges are the most selective?+
By our tiers, the most selective Illinois schools listed are Northwestern University and University of Chicago. Treat these as reaches for nearly every applicant and balance them with lower-tier schools.
Which Illinois colleges are the most accessible?+
DePaul University, Loyola University Chicago, Southern Illinois University Carbondale, University of Illinois Chicago, and Wheaton College (IL) are in our Accessible tier, which usually admits the large majority of applicants who meet eligibility requirements. Still confirm that your intended major is offered and not capped.
Are these exact admission odds for Illinois colleges?+
No. Tiers are broad bands based on reported acceptance rates, which change every cycle and differ by major. For a specific school's current numbers, use its Common Data Set; our guide "How to Build Your Own College List by Score and GPA" explains how.
Tiers and "known for" tags are general guidance compiled from public sources and may be out of date. Confirm details with each school.