11 IL Universities Ranked Among World’s Best By U.S. News & World Report

Eleven universities in Illinois are among the best in the world, according to a new ranking Tuesday from U.S. News & World Report.

The 2026-2027 edition of the Best Global Universities includes schools from more than 100 countries. China topped the list with 409, followed by the United States with 275, India with 123, the United Kingdom with 93 and Japan with 86.

“For students seeking universities with strong academic excellence and global recognition, the Best Global Universities rankings offer an essential comparative resource,” LaMont Jones, managing editor for education at U.S. News, said in a news release. “Our methodology focuses on a school's research mission and scholarly impact, helping students identify institutions that are truly at the forefront of global knowledge creation.

More than 2,250 schools were evaluated on academic research and reputation across 51 subject areas.

How Illinois Schools Ranked

Universities in Illinois that made the roundup include:

University of Chicago, ranked #25

Northwestern University, Evanston Ranked #26

University of Illinois, Urbana-Champaign, Ranked #98

University of Illinois, Chicago, Ranked #252

Rush University, Chicago, Ranked #535

Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Ranked #821

Loyola University, Chicago, Ranked #949

Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Ranked #1,266

Southern Illinois University, Carbondale, Ranked #1,579

Depaul University, Chicago, Ranked #2,099

Illinois State University, Normal, Ranked #2,144

Top 10 In The World

The top 10 were dominated by the United States and the United Kingdom:

1. Harvard University
2. Massachusetts Institute of Technology
3. Stanford University
4. University of Oxford
5. University of Cambridge
6. Tsinghua University
7. University of California Berkeley
8. Yale University
9. University College London
10. Columbia University

Related: ‘New Ivies’: Why Grads Of These Schools Get A Closer Look