2026 Best Best Schools in Illinois
Best degree programs prepare students for a range of careers in the field. A focused field like this rewards careful comparison of the schools that offer it.
To produce this 2026 ranking, College Factual evaluated 13 schools to find the best for best students.
What’s on this page:
Best Schools for Best in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall best education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Best
University Of Illinois At Chicago tops our 2026 ranking of the best best schools. University Of Illinois At Chicago is a very large public school located in the city of Chicago. About 62% of students finish within six years. There were roughly 10 best students who graduated with this degree at University Of Illinois At Chicago in the most recent data year. Students who receive their best degree from University Of Illinois At Chicago earn around $61,829 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $20,115.
Get the full best details for University Of Illinois At Chicago
Lewis University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in best, landing the #2 spot this year. Set in the suburb of Romeoville, Lewis University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit institution. Roughly 67% of students complete a degree within six years here. Lewis University awarded about 20 best degrees in the most recent data year. Best graduates of Lewis University earn a median of $55,718 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $24,838.
Get the full best details for Lewis University
A rank of #3 makes Loyola University Chicago one of the top schools for best. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. Loyola University Chicago awarded about 30 best degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their best degree from Loyola University Chicago earn around $51,202 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $23,521.
Get the full best details for Loyola University Chicago
Eastern Illinois University is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in best, landing the #4 spot this year. Set in the town of Charleston, Eastern Illinois University is a large public institution. Eastern Illinois University graduates 47% of students within six years. There were roughly 21 best students who graduated with this degree at Eastern Illinois University in the most recent data year. Best graduates of Eastern Illinois University earn a median of $43,603 early in their careers. Eastern Illinois University graduates carry a median of $24,293 in student loans.
See the full best program report for Eastern Illinois University
A rank of #5 makes Harper College one of the top schools for best. Located in the suburb of Palatine, Harper College is a very large public university. Harper College awarded about 16 best degrees in the most recent data year. Best graduates of Harper College earn a median of $44,523 early in their careers. Students borrow a median of $10,963 to complete this degree.
More information about a degree in best from Harper College
View All Best Rankings >
Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2026 edition. The methodology weighs graduation rate, post-graduation earnings, cost, and program quality, drawn primarily from the U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS and College Scorecard).
Ranking method: College Major Top Ranked · 13 schools evaluated.
- The Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES), a branch of the U.S. Department of Education (DOE), serves as the core of our data about colleges.
- Some other college data, including much of the graduate earnings data, comes from the U.S. Department of Education’s (College Scorecard).
More about our data sources and methodologies.
