The 10 Best Colleges In Illinois, According To New 2027 Ranking

University of Chicago is the best college in Illinois, according to Niche's newly released 2027 college rankings.

The Pittsburgh-based college search and review site evaluated more than 4,000 colleges and universities nationwide, using federal data along with student and alumni reviews.

University of Chicago, which is of course located in Chicago, ranked No. 16 nationally on Niche’s 2027 Best Colleges in America list and No. 1 in Illinois. Here is the rest of the Top 10:

1. University of Chicago, Chicago
   
2. Northwestern University, Evanston
   
3. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, Champaign
4. University of Illinois Chicago, Chicago
5. Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago
6. Moody Bible Institute, Chicago
7. Wheaton College (Illinois), Wheaton
8. Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington
9. Lake Forest College, Lake Forest
10. Elmhurst University, Elmhurst

Illinois colleges also showed up near the top of several specialty rankings.

For example, University of Chicago was No. 3 nationally for Best Colleges for Economics in America, No. 3 for Best Colleges For Philosphy and No. 4 Colleges with the Best Academics.

Northwestern University is ranked No. 3 in the country for Best Colleges for Communications, No. 3 Best College for Public Health, No. 4 Best Colleges for Public.

Niche publishes rankings for categories including value, academics, professors, student life, campuses, majors, public universities and liberal arts colleges, as well as rankings by state.

The Top 10 Nationally

Nationally, Massachusetts Institute of Technology took the No. 1 spot on the 2027 Best Colleges list. The full top 10 includes:

1. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge, Massachusetts
2. Stanford University, Stanford, California
3. Yale University, New Haven, Connecticut
4. Harvard University, Cambridge, Massachusetts
5. Princeton University, Princeton, New Jersey
6. California Institute of Technology, California
7. Vanderbilt University, Tennessee
8. Dartmouth College, New Hampshire
9. Columbia University, New York
10. Rice University, Texas

What Goes Into The Rankings

Niche’s rankings combine federal data with reviews from students and alumni, weighing factors including academics, value, professors, campus life, diversity and safety.

For 2027, Niche also added a measure that compares colleges with similar institutions based on their missions and outcomes. The site also introduced pilot grades for student wellness and “future readiness,” including career services, internships and exposure to emerging technologies such as artificial intelligence.

RELATED: Illinois Colleges Make Princeton Review's 2027 Best List