2027 Best Best Schools in Illinois
Best programs are offered at a focused set of schools across the country. The schools below stand out for the quality of their best programs.
For its 2027 ranking, College Factual looked at 10 schools in the United States to determine which ones were the best for best students pursuing a degree.
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Best Schools for Best in Illinois
Below are the schools that deliver the strongest overall best education in Illinois.
Top Schools in Best
No school ranked higher than Northwestern University this year for best. Northwestern University is a very large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Evanston. Roughly 95% of students complete a degree within six years here. Northwestern University awarded about 67 best degrees in the most recent data year. Students who receive their best degree from Northwestern University earn around $73,260 in the first couple years of their career. Northwestern University graduates carry a median of $16,616 in student loans.
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Illinois Institute Of Technology came in at #2 on our 2027 list of the best best schools. This large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. The six-year graduation rate is 75%. About 13 best degrees were awarded at Illinois Institute Of Technology in the most recent year. Students who receive their best degree from Illinois Institute Of Technology earn around $71,315 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $26,774.
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University Of Illinois At Chicago is a great choice for students pursuing a degree in best, landing the #3 spot this year. 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. University Of Illinois At Chicago awarded about 32 best degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $59,815 in their early career. University Of Illinois At Chicago graduates carry a median of $20,115 in student loans.
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Depaul University came in at #4 on our 2027 list of the best best schools. This very large private not-for-profit university is located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 68% of students complete a degree within six years here. Depaul University awarded about 14 best degrees in the most recent data year. Best graduates of Depaul University earn a median of $65,378 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $25,340.
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Students looking for a strong best program will find one at Northern Illinois University, which ranked #5. Northern Illinois University is a large public school located in the suburb of Dekalb. Northern Illinois University graduates 49% of students within six years. There were roughly 23 best students who graduated with this degree at Northern Illinois University in the most recent data year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from Northern Illinois University generally make around $62,849. Students borrow a median of $25,209 to complete this degree.
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National Louis University landed the #6 spot for best this year. National Louis University is a large private not-for-profit school located in the city of Chicago. Roughly 30% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 13 best students who graduated with this degree at National Louis University in the most recent data year. Best graduates of National Louis University earn a median of $53,733 early in their careers. Typical student debt for the program is $29,242.
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University Of Illinois At Springfield placed #7 among the best best schools. Located in the city of Springfield, University Of Illinois At Springfield is a moderately-sized public university. University Of Illinois At Springfield graduates 52% of students within six years. University Of Illinois At Springfield awarded about 55 best degrees in the most recent data year. Graduates of the best program make about $61,014 in their early career. Students borrow a median of $24,925 to complete this degree.
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Aurora University earned the #8 position for best this year. Located in the suburb of Aurora, Aurora University is a moderately-sized private not-for-profit university. The six-year graduation rate is 60%. About 16 best degrees were awarded at Aurora University in the most recent year. Soon after graduation, best degree recipients from Aurora University generally make around $42,605. Typical student debt for the program is $24,507.
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Southern Illinois University Edwardsville ranked #9 on our 2027 list of the best best schools. Set in the suburb of Edwardsville, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville is a large public institution. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates 55% of students within six years. There were roughly 25 best students who graduated with this degree at Southern Illinois University Edwardsville in the most recent data year. Best graduates of Southern Illinois University Edwardsville earn a median of $51,703 early in their careers. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville graduates carry a median of $23,917 in student loans.
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Governors State University earned the #10 position for best this year. Set in the suburb of University Park, Governors State University is a moderately-sized public institution. Roughly 21% of students complete a degree within six years here. There were roughly 15 best students who graduated with this degree at Governors State University in the most recent data year. Students who receive their best degree from Governors State University earn around $51,711 in the first couple years of their career. Typical student debt for the program is $24,990.
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Notes and References
The ranking above is published by College Factual (MF_RANKING_2025), 2027 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 · 10 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.
