Rankings of Illinois Schools on the US News 2027 Best Colleges List
In the 2027 list published with a revamped methodology and new criteria, two established universities in the Chicago area secured spots in the top ten.
In the 2027 Best Colleges rankings published by US News & World Report, significant methodology changes focusing on higher education costs and long-term value were implemented, and the rankings of schools in Illinois were announced.
Methodology Changes
Publishers announced that they made significant changes to the ranking methodology to address growing cost concerns and long-term value in higher education. The graduate debt metric was removed and replaced with an earnings criterion based on graduation fields.
Standing of Illinois Universities
Northwestern University and the University of Chicago tied for ninth place, securing spots in the top ten. Compared to last year's rankings, both universities saw a slight decline on the list.
Rankings of Other Illinois Schools
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign took the 34th spot on the list, while the University of Illinois Chicago ranked 95th. Illinois Institute of Technology and Loyola University tied for the 121st spot.