Colleges in Illinois

This page aggregates every Title IV–eligible college and university with a primary campus in Illinois, drawing from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard, IPEDS institutional reports, and de-identified IRS earnings linkage for federal-aid recipients. Coverage includes public flagships, regional comprehensives, community and technical colleges, private nonprofit institutions, and for-profit schools.

The state-aggregate statistics below include all reporting institutions in Illinois as a single denominator — community colleges, public universities, private nonprofits, and for-profit institutions are pooled. State averages are therefore useful for high-level framing (in-state tuition is X, average admission rate is Y, average earnings are Z) but should not be read as representative of any specific sector or institution. Drill into individual school profiles for the full picture: admissions, costs (sticker and net), federal-aid usage, completion, retention, demographics, and earnings outcomes 6 and 10 years after enrollment.

The most-recent Scorecard release is from September 2024. Tuition figures reflect institutional reports for the 2022–23 academic year and may differ from current-year prices. Earnings data has an inherent lag — the 10-year earnings horizon reflects students who enrolled approximately a decade prior to the data publication, as the IRS-matching process requires time to accumulate post-enrollment income.

Largest Colleges in Illinois by Enrollment

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign36258DeVry University-Illinois27825University of Illinois Chicago22170Illinois State University19057College of DuPage16114DePaul University14090Chamberlain University-Illinois14027Loyola University Chicago11737Northern Illinois University11301College of Lake County9420William Rainey Harper College9313Joliet Junior College9306

Source:

Highest Earnings 10-Year Median — Illinois

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign81054DeVry University-Illinois45987University of Illinois Chicago68740Illinois State University62117College of DuPage46909DePaul University68751Chamberlain University-Illinois92405Loyola University Chicago71530Northern Illinois University57808College of Lake County43424William Rainey Harper College48071Joliet Junior College42889

Source:

234
Total Schools
$18,641
Avg In-State Tuition
74.1%
Avg Acceptance Rate
$43,955
Avg Median Earnings
64 Public 0 Private NP 0 For-Profit
Ownership Breakdown

What the IPEDS Data Shows for Colleges in Illinois

Illinois has 234 Title IV-participating postsecondary institutions in the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS), the federal directory that captures every college eligible to award federal student aid. The ownership mix is 64 public institutions, 0 private nonprofits, and 0 private for-profit schools — a structural split that drives most of the tuition variation visible in the table below. Public institutions typically report substantially lower in-state tuition because state appropriations subsidize the published price, while private nonprofits often show higher sticker prices that are partially offset by institutional aid.

Cost and selectivity signals vary widely even within a single state. The average in-state tuition across Illinois institutions is $18,641, and the average admission rate (weighted by institutions that report one) sits at 74.1%. Admission rates from IPEDS exclude open-enrollment institutions, which is why community colleges and many for-profits show as unreported rather than at 100 percent. Looking at the table, the acceptance-rate column is blank for schools that don’t screen applicants, a meaningful distinction when evaluating selectivity alongside earnings.

Post-graduation outcomes tie cost to return. Graduates of Illinois colleges earn a mean of $43,955 ten years after enrollment, based on U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal aid applicants through the College Scorecard data file. Because earnings depend heavily on field of study and local labor markets, state-level averages should be read alongside each school’s program mix. The table sorts every institution with reported IPEDS enrollment so prospective students can compare acceptance rates, enrollment scale, and median earnings side by side rather than relying on third-party rankings.

All Schools in Illinois

School Name City Type Enrollment Acceptance Rate 10yr Earnings
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Champaign Public 36,258 42.4% $81,054
DeVry University-Illinois Lisle Private For-Profit 27,825 98.4% $45,987
University of Illinois Chicago Chicago Public 22,170 77.3% $68,740
Illinois State University Normal Public 19,057 88.1% $62,117
College of DuPage Glen Ellyn Public 16,114 $46,909
DePaul University Chicago Private Nonprofit 14,090 75.9% $68,751
Chamberlain University-Illinois Addison Private For-Profit 14,027 82.6% $92,405
Loyola University Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit 11,737 81.6% $71,530
Northern Illinois University Dekalb Public 11,301 69.8% $57,808
College of Lake County Grayslake Public 9,420 $43,424
William Rainey Harper College Palatine Public 9,313 $48,071
Joliet Junior College Joliet Public 9,306 $42,889
Northwestern University Evanston Private Nonprofit 9,201 7.7% $89,363
Southern Illinois University Edwardsville Edwardsville Public 8,750 97.5% $56,346
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale Carbondale Public 8,494 86.9% $53,390
University of Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit 7,569 4.5% $91,885
Moraine Valley Community College Palos Hills Public 7,490 $43,892
Triton College River Grove Public 6,902 $41,728
Elgin Community College Elgin Public 6,648 $45,516
City Colleges of Chicago-Malcolm X College Chicago Public 6,409 $32,427
Oakton College Des Plaines Public 6,072 $47,852
Waubonsee Community College Sugar Grove Public 5,721 $44,788
Southwestern Illinois College Belleville Public 5,675 $36,884
Columbia College Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit 5,368 89.5% $42,195
Illinois Central College East Peoria Public 5,052 $37,366
McHenry County College Crystal Lake Public 4,691 $45,143
Western Illinois University Macomb Public 4,410 71.2% $54,163
National Louis University Chicago Private Nonprofit 4,406 95.0% $45,799
City Colleges of Chicago-Wilbur Wright College Chicago Public 4,372 $41,625
Rock Valley College Rockford Public 4,359 $39,158
City Colleges of Chicago-Harold Washington College Chicago Public 4,207 $36,531
Eastern Illinois University Charleston Public 4,188 65.3% $51,989
Lewis University Romeoville Private Nonprofit 4,015 71.3% $66,099
Northeastern Illinois University Chicago Public 3,982 74.6% $52,234
Lincoln Land Community College Springfield Public 3,976 $38,479
Aurora University Aurora Private Nonprofit 3,974 80.8% $58,709
Bradley University Peoria Private Nonprofit 3,574 76.8% $66,852
Parkland College Champaign Public 3,348 $38,320
Saint Xavier University Chicago Private Nonprofit 3,096 84.3% $58,656
Elmhurst University Elmhurst Private Nonprofit 3,006 73.6% $61,462
Heartland Community College Normal Public 2,997 $40,768
Roosevelt University Chicago Private Nonprofit 2,849 97.2% $48,712
Illinois Institute of Technology Chicago Private Nonprofit 2,833 54.9% $82,592
School of the Art Institute of Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit 2,805 77.5% $40,151
City Colleges of Chicago-Richard J Daley College Chicago Public 2,789 $37,962
Morton College Cicero Public 2,640 $42,406
Olivet Nazarene University Bourbonnais Private Nonprofit 2,603 55.9% $53,213
Dominican University River Forest Private Nonprofit 2,561 90.3% $60,327
Governors State University University Park Public 2,556 48.3% $58,169
City Colleges of Chicago-Harry S Truman College Chicago Public 2,505 $36,484
Augustana College Rock Island Private Nonprofit 2,490 62.7% $62,971
Lewis and Clark Community College Godfrey Public 2,487 $37,724
Lake Land College Mattoon Public 2,448 $38,877
Prairie State College Chicago Heights Public 2,443 $36,696
North Central College Naperville Private Nonprofit 2,428 77.3% $60,123
Black Hawk College Moline Public 2,354 $37,253
University of Illinois Springfield Springfield Public 2,263 85.9% $57,103
Wheaton College Wheaton Private Nonprofit 2,121 87.4% $63,756
South Suburban College South Holland Public 2,042 $33,680
Illinois Valley Community College Oglesby Public 2,040 $40,810
John A Logan College Carterville Public 2,016 $34,096
Kankakee Community College Kankakee Public 1,985 $38,767
Benedictine University Lisle Private Nonprofit 1,942 95.2% $63,446
Kishwaukee College Malta Public 1,936 $39,657
Kaskaskia College Centralia Public 1,920 $38,801
North Park University Chicago Private Nonprofit 1,818 68.5% $59,572
Lake Forest College Lake Forest Private Nonprofit 1,813 56.8% $61,825
City Colleges of Chicago-Kennedy-King College Chicago Public 1,777 $28,467
McKendree University Lebanon Private Nonprofit 1,752 71.7% $58,572
City Colleges of Chicago-Olive-Harvey College Chicago Public 1,661 $31,114
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges Olney Public 1,634 $37,533
Illinois Wesleyan University Bloomington Private Nonprofit 1,582 39.3% $70,871
Lincoln College of Technology-Melrose Park Melrose Park Private For-Profit 1,539 $38,683
Moody Bible Institute Chicago Private Nonprofit 1,510 82.7% $45,399
Danville Area Community College Danville Public 1,508 $34,867
Chicago State University Chicago Public 1,384 43.3% $42,778
Millikin University Decatur Private Nonprofit 1,382 66.7% $51,262
John Wood Community College Quincy Public 1,371 $38,631
Richland Community College Decatur Public 1,346 $38,793
Midwest Technical Institute-Illinois Springfield Private For-Profit 1,326 $33,601
Concordia University-Chicago River Forest Private Nonprofit 1,323 92.8% $54,089
University of St Francis Joliet Private Nonprofit 1,223 65.3% $63,926
Rend Lake College Ina Public 1,175 $35,775
Sauk Valley Community College Dixon Public 1,158 $40,458
Universal Technical Institute of Illinois Inc Lisle Private For-Profit 1,156 $52,873
Rasmussen University-Illinois Rockford Private For-Profit 1,145 $39,080
Knox College Galesburg Private Nonprofit 1,127 70.8% $54,820
Carl Sandburg College Galesburg Public 1,051 $35,274
Quincy University Quincy Private Nonprofit 1,010 50.9% $50,369
Rockford University Rockford Private Nonprofit 972 92.9% $54,794
Greenville University Greenville Private Nonprofit 955 97.5% $46,827
Highland Community College Freeport Public 931 $37,928
Illinois College Jacksonville Private Nonprofit 930 78.2% $52,575
Midwestern Career College Chicago Private For-Profit 887 $36,432
Trinity Christian College Palos Heights Private Nonprofit 820 84.9% $55,700
St. Augustine College Chicago Private Nonprofit 787 $35,723
Spoon River College Canton Public 774 $38,386
Judson University Elgin Private Nonprofit 708 47.6% $56,313
Monmouth College Monmouth Private Nonprofit 702 90.9% $51,110
Shawnee Community College Ullin Public 698 $32,999
Stautzenberger College-Rockford Career College Rockford Private For-Profit 682 $34,104
Southeastern Illinois College Harrisburg Public 680 $33,763
MDT College of Health Sciences Chicago Private For-Profit 575 64.2% $43,946
Eureka College Eureka Private Nonprofit 522 85.0% $51,641
G Skin & Beauty Institute Schaumburg Private For-Profit 490 $29,032
Blackburn College Carlinville Private Nonprofit 471 63.2% $46,802
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Bridgeview Bridgeview Private For-Profit 470 $25,671
East-West University Chicago Private Nonprofit 468 $29,963
Cosmetology & Spa Academy Crystal Lake Private For-Profit 445 $29,779
ETI School of Skilled Trades Willowbrook Private For-Profit 443 $52,800
Principia College Elsah Private Nonprofit 339
G Skin & Beauty Institute Oakbrook Private For-Profit 337 $32,281
Aviation Institute of Maintenance-Chicago Chicago Private For-Profit 333 $53,341
Generations College Chicago Private Nonprofit 310 $34,706
HVAC Technical Institute Chicago Private For-Profit 285
First Institute of Travel Inc. Crystal Lake Private For-Profit 278 $36,196
Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing Peoria Private Nonprofit 273 $72,850
Methodist College Peoria Private Nonprofit 245 38.9% $69,800
Soma Institute-The National School of Clinical Massage Therapy Chicago Private For-Profit 233 $32,349
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NW Chicago Private For-Profit 216 $28,554
Fox College Tinley Park Private For-Profit 200 70.2% $41,539
Paul Mitchell the School-Tinley Park Tinley Park Private For-Profit 191 $28,378
State Career College Gurnee Private For-Profit 185
Worsham College of Mortuary Science Wheeling Private For-Profit 183 92.0% $61,574
Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences Quincy Private Nonprofit 176 $72,430
Verve College Oak Brook Private For-Profit 176
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture Urbana Private For-Profit 173 $18,077
Saint Anthony College of Nursing Rockford Private Nonprofit 172 $77,709
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Normal Normal Private For-Profit 171 $26,236
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Rockford Rockford Private For-Profit 170 $25,109
University of Spa & Cosmetology Arts Springfield Private For-Profit 164 $27,084
John Amico School of Hair Design Oak Forest Private For-Profit 162
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Libertyville Libertyville Private For-Profit 162 $35,650
Capital Area Career Center Springfield Public 161 94.4% $55,357
Paul Mitchell the School-Chicago Chicago Private For-Profit 160 $27,652
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Chicago NE Chicago Private For-Profit 160 $27,330
Estelle Skin Care and Spa Institute Skokie Private For-Profit 141 $25,148
Universal Spa Training Academy Downers Grove Private For-Profit 139 $41,928
Rush University Chicago Private Nonprofit 138 $75,194
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Elgin Elgin Private For-Profit 138 $35,650
Hair Professionals School of Cosmetology Oswego Private For-Profit 136 $23,412
Empire Beauty School-Stone Park Stone Park Private For-Profit 136 $24,407
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Glendale Heights Glendale Heights Private For-Profit 132 $27,330
St. John's College-Department of Nursing Springfield Private Nonprofit 126 $86,331
Tricoci University of Beauty Culture-Peoria Peoria Private For-Profit 125 $26,236
Ambria College of Nursing Hoffman Estates Private For-Profit 123 $67,290
Trenz Beauty Academy Calumet City Private For-Profit 109
Pivot Point Academy Bloomingdale Private For-Profit 103 $30,453
Debutantes School of Cosmetology and Nail Technology Dekalb Private For-Profit 99
Taylor Business Institute Chicago Private For-Profit 98 91.2% $25,559
Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Rockford Rockford Private For-Profit 97 $21,463
CAAN Academy of Nursing Matteson Private Nonprofit 96
Chicago Professional Center Prospect Heights Private For-Profit 95
The Aveda Institute of Beauty and Wellness Chicago Chicago Private For-Profit 93 $31,369
Hebrew Theological College Skokie Private Nonprofit 90 57.1% $33,291
Hair Professionals Career College Palos Hills Private For-Profit 86 $23,417
CALC Institute of Technology Alton Private For-Profit 83 $32,088
Stellar Career College Chicago Private For-Profit 83 $30,337
Cameo Beauty Academy Oak Lawn Private For-Profit 82 $24,513
Telshe Yeshiva-Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit 78 100.0%
VanderCook College of Music Chicago Private Nonprofit 76 89.5% $47,863
Capri Beauty College New Lenox Private For-Profit 75 $26,804
Larry's Barber College Chicago Private For-Profit 68
Lakeview College of Nursing Danville Private Nonprofit 66 $84,522
Estelle Medical Academy Skokie Private For-Profit 66 $24,290
Illinois Media School-Chicago Campus Chicago Private For-Profit 66 $38,284
Oehrlein School of Cosmetology East Peoria Private For-Profit 65 $18,890
Cannella School of Hair Design-Chicago Chicago Private For-Profit 64 $29,075
Steven Papageorge Hair Academy Chicago Private For-Profit 60 $29,592
Morrison Institute of Technology Morrison Private Nonprofit 59 $63,571
Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Sterling Sterling Private For-Profit 59 $21,463
Trinity College of Nursing & Health Sciences Rock Island Private Nonprofit 56 $58,743
Hair Professionals Career College Sycamore Private For-Profit 55 $23,568
Trinity International University-Illinois Deerfield Private Nonprofit 55 100.0% $46,989
Rosel School of Cosmetology Niles Private For-Profit 55 $19,819
Networks Barber College Calumet City Private For-Profit 54
Professional's Choice Hair Design Academy Joliet Private For-Profit 53 $30,341
University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology Chicago Private For-Profit 53 $28,955
Educators of Beauty College of Cosmetology-Peru PERU Private For-Profit 52 $21,949
Ms Roberts Academy of Beauty Culture Hillside Private For-Profit 52 $24,535
Cannella School of Hair Design-Villa Park Villa Park Private For-Profit 51 $26,970
Empire Beauty School-Vernon Hills Vernon Hills Private For-Profit 50 $24,407
Gem City College Quincy Private For-Profit 41 $19,219
Graham Hospital School of Nursing Canton Private Nonprofit 40 100.0% $63,586
Reflections Academy of Beauty Decatur Private For-Profit 40
The University of Aesthetics & Cosmetology Downers Grove Private For-Profit 39
Phipps Academy of Barbering Richton Park Private For-Profit 39
Career Center of Southern Illinois Red Bud Public 36 56.5% $48,452
Capri Beauty College Oak Forest Private For-Profit 33 $26,804
Illinois Media School Chicago Private For-Profit 32 $38,284
Cosmetology Concepts Niles Niles Private For-Profit 31 $20,303
Larry's Barber College Chicago Private For-Profit 29
Larry's Barber College-Joliet Joliet Private For-Profit 27
Americare Technical School Park Ridge Private For-Profit 25 100.0%
The Chicago School at Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit 21 34.5% $56,899
American Islamic College Chicago Private Nonprofit 16 100.0%
Creative Touch Cosmetology School Waterloo Private For-Profit 16
National University of Health Sciences Lombard Private Nonprofit 13 $58,723
I M Beauty School Glenview Private For-Profit 13
Adler University Chicago Private Nonprofit 9
Pacific College of Health and Science Chicago Private For-Profit 2 $26,209
Midwest College of Oriental Medicine-Skokie Skokie Private For-Profit 0 $44,136
Catholic Theological Union at Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit
Midwestern University-Downers Grove Downers Grove Private Nonprofit
Chicago Theological Seminary Chicago Private Nonprofit
Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary Evanston Private Nonprofit
Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science North Chicago Private Nonprofit
Illinois College of Optometry Chicago Private Nonprofit
Institute for Clinical Social Work Chicago Private Nonprofit
Lake Forest Graduate School of Management Lake Forest Private Nonprofit
Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit
McCormick Theological Seminary Chicago Private Nonprofit
Meadville Theological School of Lombard College Chicago Private Nonprofit
Northern Baptist Theological Seminary Lisle Private Nonprofit
University of Saint Mary of the Lake Mundelein Private Nonprofit
Spertus College Chicago Private Nonprofit
Erikson Institute Chicago Private Nonprofit
NorthShore University HealthSystem School of Nurse Anesthesia Evanston Private Nonprofit
Bexley Hall Seabury Western Theological Seminary Federation Inc. Chicago Private Nonprofit
Toyota Technological Institute at Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges-Olney Central College Olney Public $37,533
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges-Frontier Community College Fairfield Public $37,533
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges-Lincoln Trail College Robinson Public $37,533
Illinois Eastern Community Colleges-Wabash Valley College Mount Carmel Public $37,533
Triton College - Intl Union of Operating Engr Local 399 Trning Fac. Chicago Public $41,728
Columbia College - Freeport Freeport Private Nonprofit $45,378
Pivot Point Academy - Wahl Barber Academy Chicago Private For-Profit $30,453
SAE Institute of Technology-Chicago Chicago Private For-Profit $39,544
Rasmussen University-Aurora Aurora Private For-Profit $39,080
Rasmussen University-Romeoville/Joliet Romeoville Private For-Profit $39,080
Rasmussen University-Mokena/Tinley Park Mokena Private For-Profit $39,080
Relay Graduate School of Education - Chicago Chicago Private Nonprofit
Networks Barber College Chicago Private For-Profit
Phipps Academy of Barbering - Bradley Bradley Private For-Profit

About This Data

School data comes from the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS institutional characteristics files. Enrollment, admissions, and earnings figures are the most recently available. Earnings represent median income 10 years after enrollment for students who received federal financial aid, drawn from U.S. Treasury tax records linked to federal student aid applicants.