Top Universities in Chicago in 2023

Chicago, also known as the Windy City, is one of the largest cities in the US. It is also home and a neighbour to some of the best universities in the world. Also, it has been ranked as one of the best student cities in the world for students. Its world-class education institutes are recognized by industry leaders as well. Apart from the top-notch academic facilities, students also get the opportunity to do various social and cultural activities here. Finally, students can get plenty of post-study opportunities after completing their studies here.

Top universities in Chicago

University of Chicago

Established in 1890, the University of Chicago is among the top U.S and global research universities, offering 53 majors and 47 minors in UG college. It has 7 professional schools and four divisions for graduate study. Former US President Barack Obama taught at the University of Chicago Law School for 12 years. With more than 400 student organizations, the university offers a lot of academic and social support to its students.

Highlights of the University of Chicago:

• The university ranked 6th in the National Universities Ranking 2022-2023 by US news and the Times Higher Education has ranked the university 13th in 2023.
• 13% of the students are overseas students, representing 100 nations.
• Currently (2022), 7,011 undergraduate students and 10,459 graduate students are enrolled here. A total of 193,885 university alumni are living in different parts of the world. 

Northwestern University

Established in 1851, Northwestern University is a private research university in the United States. The university offers advanced courses in various disciples and students also benefit because of its higher employability ranking. Also, its School of Communication is also considered one of the top communication institutes in the world. Further, with more than 50 university research centers, Northwestern is one of the pioneer research universities not only in the US but across the world. With three campuses and 12 schools and colleges, the university has over 500 student organisations and clubs.

Highlights of Northwestern University:

• Ranked among the top 10 National Universities in the US by US News & World Report, The university has also been ranked 26th by the Times Higher Education 2023.
• The total student enrollment stands at 21,000 and the university has a total of 3,334 full-time faculty members. The student-to-faculty ratio is 6:1.
• More than 100 innovation-based courses are taught each year.
• The acceptance rate at the university is 7%. 

• In 2021, 96% of the batch has a job or were studying further within six months of graduation.

University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign 

Incepted in 1867, it is among the original 37 public land-grant institutions built after President Abraham Lincoln signed the Morrill Act. Earlier known as Illinois Industrial University, the same was later renamed the University of Illinois in 1885. Located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, it has 15 colleges and instructional institutes. It has also been recognised as one of the most disability-friendly U.S campuses.

• 29 of its alumni are Pulitzer Prize Winners.
• The university was ranked 13th public university and 41st national university in the U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges rankings 2022-2023. Also, its accounting department obtained the second rank in UG programs and third in graduate programs.
• It has over 470,000 alumni around the world.
• 100% of the university classrooms have wireless access.

University of Illinois, Chicago (UIC)

The University of Illinois, Chicago is a pioneer in research and discovery and was founded in 1982. It is a public research institute with a total of 33,747 students enrolled on different courses (21,807 undergraduates, 7,798 graduates, and 4,142 professional students). 95 Bachelor's, 100 Master's, 63 Doctoral, and 75 Certificate programs are offered at the institute. 87% of the full-time faculty members possess a Ph.D or equivalent. The university is considered as the largest educator in the US. With an intensive focus on research, the university has done path-breaking work in the field of agriculture, technology, and medicine.

It ranked 46th among public national universities in the U.S News & World Report's rankings in 2022. Also, it is the only university in Illinois which has been ranked as one of the 10 best value colleges in the country by the Wall Street Journal and Times Higher Education.

• There are 95 bachelor’s programs to choose from.
• Student-to-teacher ratio is 19:1.
• The university has 16 top-ranked colleges, which include 7 health sciences colleges and Chicago's only public law school.

Also read:

Top Universities in the USA

Top Universities in Newcastle

Top MBA Programs in London

Top Universities in Montreal

Loyola University Chicago

Established in 1870, Loyola University Chicago is a private educational institution and has been adjudged the 95th best-value university. The university offers more than 80 undergraduate majors, over 80 minors, and 140 graduate, professional and certificate programs, therefore, students have plenty of options to choose from. Almost 77% of the graduates earn a starting salary of $42,700. In 2021, a total of 17,498 students were enrolled here, out of which 11,819 were pursuing undergraduate studies. The graduate success rate is 99% for the third consecutive year.

• 92% of the faculty members possess the highest degree in their respective fields.
• Student-to-faculty ratio is 14:1.
• Almost 98% of incoming freshmen obtain scholarships or grants.
• Its part-time MBA program is among the top 3 in Chicago.

Illinois Institute of Technology

Founded in 1890, the Illinois Institute of Technology is a research-based university offering programs in various disciples like communication, business, architecture, design, psychology, science, law, engineering, and industrial technology. Undergraduate students can join more than 100 clubs and organizations here. The IIT focuses on applied research-based learning and the infrastructure complements the same.

• The university was ranked 44th best value national university by U.S.News & World Report National University Ranking.
• It is also among the top 65 national universities with the highest campus ethnic diversity as per U.S. News & World Report.
• More than 97 per cent of the students receive some kind of financial aid.
• The average earning of graduates through IIT is almost $54,000 per annum.

DePaul University

Acknowledge as one of the Best Midwestern Colleges in the United States as per the Princeton Review in 2019, DePaul University was ranked among the best national universities by the U.S. News & World Report 2021. Incepted in 1898, DePaul is among the top 12 largest private universities in the country.

• The Student-to-faculty ratio is 17:1 and the average class size is 24.
• The size of 99% of the classes is under 50.
• It has two campuses - Loop Campus and Lincoln Park Campus.

Related articles:

Top Universities in Munich

Top Colleges & Universities in Stuttgart

List of Universities in Glasgow

Best Universities in Vancouver

Best Business Schools in the World