Lens covers 35 four-year colleges in Illinois, 10 public and 25 private. They range from Illinois College (930 undergraduates) to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (36,258). Acceptance rates run from 4% to 98%, and 30 of the 35 admit at least half of applicants.
Open these 35 colleges in the College Filter → Narrow them by cost at your rate, majors, size and more.
The 35 four-year colleges in Illinois
Listed A to Z. Lens never ranks colleges.
| College | Location | Undergraduates | Acceptance rate | Tuition & fees (before aid) |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Augustana College | Rock Island | 2,490 | 63% | $51,598 |
| Aurora University | Aurora | 3,974 | 81% | $29,170 |
| Bradley University | Peoria | 3,574 | 77% | $42,160 |
| Chicago State University | Chicago | 1,384 | 43% | $12,754 |
| Columbia College Chicago | Chicago | 5,368 | 89% | $34,088 |
| Concordia University–Chicago | River Forest | 1,323 | 93% | $37,488 |
| DePaul University | Chicago | 14,090 | 76% | $45,999 |
| Dominican University | River Forest | 2,561 | 90% | $38,978 |
| Eastern Illinois University | Charleston | 4,188 | 65% | $13,679 in-state · $16,217 out-of-state |
| Elmhurst University | Elmhurst | 3,006 | 74% | $42,955 |
| Illinois College | Jacksonville | 930 | 78% | $38,676 |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | Chicago | 2,833 | 55% | $52,386 |
| Illinois State University | Normal | 19,057 | 88% | $16,144 in-state · $28,210 out-of-state |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | Bloomington | 1,582 | 39% | $57,704 |
| Knox College | Galesburg | 1,127 | 71% | $57,903 |
| Lake Forest College | Lake Forest | 1,813 | 57% | $56,402 |
| Lewis University | Romeoville | 4,015 | 71% | $39,200 |
| Loyola University Chicago | Chicago | 11,737 | 82% | $53,710 |
| Millikin University | Decatur | 1,382 | 67% | $26,892 |
| National Louis University | Chicago | 4,406 | 95% | $12,705 |
| North Central College | Naperville | 2,428 | 77% | $45,726 |
| North Park University | Chicago | 1,818 | 69% | $36,710 |
| Northeastern Illinois University | Chicago | 3,982 | 75% | $12,383 in-state · $22,726 out-of-state |
| Northern Illinois University | Dekalb | 11,301 | 70% | $13,248 |
| Northwestern University | Evanston | 9,201 | 8% | $68,322 |
| Olivet Nazarene University | Bourbonnais | 2,603 | 56% | $38,900 |
| Roosevelt University | Chicago | 2,849 | 97% | $21,315 |
| Saint Xavier University | Chicago | 3,096 | 84% | $37,940 |
| School of the Art Institute of Chicago | Chicago | 2,805 | 77% | $56,420 |
| Southern Illinois University–Carbondale | Carbondale | 8,494 | 87% | $13,334 |
| Southern Illinois University–Edwardsville | Edwardsville | 8,750 | 98% | $12,922 |
| University of Chicago | Chicago | 7,569 | 4% | $70,662 |
| University of Illinois Chicago | Chicago | 22,170 | 77% | $14,338 in-state · $29,884 out-of-state |
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Champaign | 36,258 | 42% | $16,004 in-state · $35,124 out-of-state |
| Western Illinois University | Macomb | 4,410 | 71% | $15,264 |
Sources: IPEDS (fall 2024 enrollment and admissions); College Scorecard (published tuition and fees before aid, about 2023–24). You may pay less if receiving grants or scholarships.
Related lists
- Colleges in Indiana
- Colleges in Iowa
- Colleges in Michigan
- Colleges in Minnesota
- Colleges in Missouri
- Colleges in Ohio
- Colleges in Wisconsin
- Liberal Arts Colleges in the Midwest
- Large Public Universities in the Midwest
- Smaller Public Universities in the Midwest
- Smaller Private Universities in the Midwest
- Catholic Colleges in the Midwest
- Christian Colleges in the Midwest
- Colleges with Big-Time Sports in the Midwest
- Division I Colleges in the Midwest
FAQ
Which four-year colleges in Illinois admit at least half of applicants? 30 of the 35: Augustana College, Aurora University, Bradley University, Columbia College Chicago, Concordia University–Chicago, DePaul University, Dominican University, Eastern Illinois University, Elmhurst University, Illinois College, Illinois Institute of Technology, Illinois State University and 18 more (fall 2024).
What are the largest and smallest four-year colleges in Illinois? University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the largest, with 36,258 undergraduates, and Illinois College is the smallest, with 930 (fall 2024).
How many four-year colleges in Illinois are public? 10 of the 35 are public and 25 are private.
Where these numbers come from
Lens covers the 850 four-year public and private nonprofit colleges that receive the most applications, so some smaller colleges are not listed. Enrollment, acceptance rates and degrees come from IPEDS (U.S. Department of Education, fall 2024); published prices from the College Scorecard. Each college's page lists its own sources. See the data behind Lens.