Best ROI Colleges in Illinois

25 schools ranked by median earnings relative to net price — the schools where the math actually works. Updated from the latest federal filings.

#SchoolNet PriceGrad RateEarnings 10yrAcceptance
1University of Notre Dame -

Chicago · private

$99,980
2Chamberlain University-Illinois

Addison · private

$31,83774.9%$92,40582.6%
3University of Chicago

Chicago · private

$14,86096.2%$91,8854.5%
4Northwestern University

Evanston · private

$29,16796.5%$89,3637.7%
5St. John's College-Department of Nursing

Springfield · private

95.8%$86,331
6Lakeview College of Nursing

Danville · private

97.1%$84,522
7Illinois Institute of Technology

Chicago · private

$18,42575.5%$82,59254.9%
8University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

Champaign · public

$14,35586.2%$81,05442.4%
9Saint Anthony College of Nursing

Rockford · private

84.8%$77,709
10Rush University

Chicago · private

82.8%$75,194
11Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing

Peoria · private

90.0%$72,850
12Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences

Quincy · private

73.5%$72,430
13Loyola University Chicago

Chicago · private

$36,07970.7%$71,53081.6%
14Illinois Wesleyan University

Bloomington · private

$28,19981.9%$70,87139.3%
15Methodist College

Peoria · private

$41,78767.0%$69,80038.9%
16DePaul University

Chicago · private

$30,90267.7%$68,75175.9%
17University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago · public

$10,97469.7%$68,74077.3%
18Ambria College of Nursing

Hoffman Estates · private

60.7%$67,290
19Bradley University

Peoria · private

$22,71977.4%$66,85276.8%
20Lewis University

Romeoville · private

$17,02867.5%$66,09971.3%
21University of St Francis

Joliet · private

$13,00669.5%$63,92665.3%
22Wheaton College

Wheaton · private

$26,97587.8%$63,75687.4%
23Graham Hospital School of Nursing

Canton · private

$21,228$63,586100.0%
24Morrison Institute of Technology

Morrison · private

$20,63980.2%$63,571
25Benedictine University

Lisle · private

$22,31359.4%$63,44695.2%

Compare any two: University of Notre Dame - vs Chamberlain University-Illinois

Go deeper on any school

Personalized match scores, debt payback timelines, major-level earnings, and 20+ data points per school.

Get Full Access — $249/student

Best ROI Colleges in Other States

More Illinois College Rankings

Data from U.S. Department of Education (IPEDS, College Scorecard, Clery Act). Updated annually. Rankings reflect the data as reported — not editorial opinion.