Best Colleges in Illinois

Illinois is a Midwestern state with largely hot, humid summers and cold winters. While Chicago may be the most widely-known city, considered a microcosm of the US, the state capital is actually Springfield, a city in the Southern part of the a state. Colleges in Illinois include 2-year, 4-year, and technical institutions, among non- and for-profit options. The largest institution in the state is the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, while the highest-ranking is the University of Chicago. Illinois is a hotbed for business. Home to the CME Group and the Chicago Board Options Exchange, financial and business services are top industries in the Land of Lincoln. Advanced manufacturing (primarily of machinery), education, and agriculture all play significant roles in the Prairie State’s economy. The Magnificent Mile, Starved Rock State Park, the Art Institute of Chicago, and the Dana-Thomas House built by Frank Lloyd Wright are just a few attractions Illinois offers.

How Were the Top Schools in Illinois Chosen?

Appily determines “Best Colleges” based on publicly-available information from the US Department of Education. Several factors include, but are not limited to, data about admitted students’ academic calibers, students’ expected career outcomes after graduation, and colleges’ investments toward making their institution accessible to all students.

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Rock Valley College is a public, 2-year institution established on a 217-acre campus in Rockford, Illinois, and is a member of the Illinois Community College System. RVC offers over 60 associate degree and certificate programs, including both Career...

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Rock Valley College Provided an excellent learning and preparatory experience, by providing challenging courses with expectations of a four year school. I would definitely recommend this college for learning.

” – Robert from Stillman Valley, IL
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Shawnee Community College is a 2-year college with a main campus and three extension centers in southern Illinois. In addition to course offerings in Business and Allied Health, SCC offers a number of cooperative education academic programs with...

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With campus a short walk from Grant Park, the Soma Institute is a school of massage therapy in Chicago. The Soma Institute is the only school in the United States to confer a diploma in Clinical Massage Therapy. This program combines classroom work...

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Southeastern Illinois College is a 2-year community college serving an eight county area. SIC is home to six academic departments offering degrees and certificates in over 70 fields of study. To enhance its classroom offerings, SIC also fields...

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Southwestern Illinois College is a public, 2-year institution located primarily in the city of Belleville, with two satellite campuses in Granite City and Red Bud. The main campus in Belleville is home to the Schmidt Art Center, which features a...

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Southwestern Illinois College has a great faculty and staff, and the counselors there are very helpful in getting you what you need to be successful in college.

” – Alexander from Waterloo, IL
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Established in 1959, Spoon River College is a public, 2-year institution located in Canton, Illinois, with satellite campuses and facilities in Macomb, Havana, and Rushville. SRC offers 14 career-oriented associate’s degree and certificate programs...

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Spoon River College has changed my life for the better. This college has a lot to offer and several campuses to attend. The professors and students are very nice and all willing to help.

” – Dasha from Havana, IL
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Wabash Valley College is a public, 2-year institution established in Mount Carmel, Illinois. The college offers transfer degrees and 15 career-oriented programs, including Advanced Manufacturing, Gunsmithing, Nursing, and more, with options for...

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Adler University is a graduate school focused on social change through professional psychology. The school operates two campuses, one in Vancouver, British Columbia, and one in Chicago, Illinois. Adler University offers only master and doctoral...

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If you are interest in working with minorities group and marginalized communities Adler School is the indicated. Located in the middle of Chicago, Adler School offer a professional and diverse environment while you learn and share ideas with people...

” – Jul@ from Puerto Rico
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With campus a short walk from Lake Michigan, American Islamic College is an Islamic university in Chicago dedicated to training future leaders of Muslim institutions. AIC features a bachelor’s degree in Islamic Studies as well as master of arts and...

Arrupe College

Arrupe College is a 2-year Jesuit community college founded by Loyola University in an effort to provide debt-free higher education to students from a limited financial background in Chicago. Students’ annual tuition at Arrupe is mostly covered via...

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With a campus adjacent to Jackson Park, Bexley Seabury Seminary is an Episcopal seminary in Chicago dedicated to formation of clergy and church leaders. Bexley Seabury offers a master’s degree and doctorate in Divinity as well as a diploma in...

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Founded as a response to a call for more seminaries in urban locations, the Catholic Theological Union at Chicago is a Roman Catholic grad school on the city’s south side. CTU offers nine theological master’s degree programs as well as a doctorate in...

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Established in 1855, Chicago Theological Seminary is a private, Christ-centered institution located downtown beside the University of Chicago. CTS offers master’s and doctoral degrees in seven fields of study, as well as a certificate program in...

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Named for one of the premier developmental psychologists in the history of the field, Erikson Institute is a graduate school in Chicago specializing in child development. Erikson is home to master’s degree programs in Child Development, Social Work...

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Established in 1853, Garrett-Evangelical Theological Seminary is a Christ-centered, graduate education institution located in Evanston, Illinois. Garrett-Evangelical offers seven master’s degree programs, a Doctor of Ministry degree program with six...

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My view of Garrett Evangelical Theological Seminary is that it is the best on the North Shore. Since Garrett has accepted me as one of their students, I have grown more and more into a bold leader.

” – Jacqueline from Chicago, IL
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Originally founded in response to a typhoid epidemic, Graham Hospital School of Nursing is a nurse training academy in central Illinois. The Graham Hospital School is home to a 3-year diploma-granting program in Nursing that includes general...

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With campus a short walk from Lake Michigan and Grant Park, the Institute for Clinical Social Work is a graduate school of counseling in downtown Chicago. ICSW offers a 2-year Master’s Degree in Clinical Counseling & Psychotherapy and a 3-year PhD...

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If you are looking for a program that focuses on enhancing your clinical skills while integrating psychodynamic theories then this is a great program for you. Be challenged to think beyond what is expected and to be able to comprehend the structures...

” – j_star51
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The Lake Forest Graduate School of Management is a business management graduate institution in the Chicagoland area. LFGSM offers three master’s degree programs in Project Leadership, Management, and a Leadership MBA. All degree programs are centered...

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Affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America, Lutheran School of Theology at Chicago is a Christ-centered seminary on the south side of Chicago. LSTC confers master’s degrees in Divinity, Ministry, Arts, and Theology as well as...

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As one of 12 American institutions affiliated with the Presbyterian church, McCormick Theological Seminary is a Chicago-based seminary in the Reformed tradition. McCormick offers master’s degree programs in Divinity, Ministry, and Theological Studies...