Illinois Schools Ranked Among 2021’s Best Colleges: U.S. News
ILLINOIS — As students and colleges across the nation grapple with the effects of the ongoing coronavirus pandemic, U.S. News & World Report on Monday remained steadfast with the release of its 2021 edition of Best U.S. Colleges, a list that includes several schools in Illinois.
Despite how the pandemic has forced current and potential students to alter college plans, U.S. News said in a news release that it must “continue providing students and their families with the tools they need to help find the right school for them.”
To rank colleges, U.S. News first placed each school into a category based on its mission and, in some cases, its geographical location in the United States. U.S. News then evaluated more than 1,400 colleges and universities on 17 indicators of academic quality. The colleges are ranked based on their overall scores.
The data used for this year’s rankings was gathered in spring and early summer 2020; however, the publication noted that the pandemic did not affect the numbers.
This year’s edition also includes several methodology updates. The new measures look at timely topics such as student debt, social mobility and test-blind admissions policies. U.S. News also added new weights and indicators to Historically Black Colleges and Universities and added a new ranking for computer science programs.
See more detailed methodologies and frequently asked questions about the rankings.
These Illinois colleges and universities were included in this year’s rankings:
National Universities
University of Chicago, Chicago, Ranked 6
Northwestern University, Evanston, Ranked 9
University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign, Champaign, Ranked 47
Loyola University Chicago, Chicago, Ranked 112
University of Illinois-Chicago, Chicago, Ranked 112
DePaul University, Chicago, Ranked 124
Illinois Institute of Technology, Chicago, Ranked 124
Illinois State University, Normal, Ranked 206
University of St. Francis, Joliet, Ranked 227
Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, Carbondale, Ranked 258
Aurora University, Aurora, Ranked 298-389
Benedictine University, Lisle, Ranked 298-389
National Louis University, Chicago, Ranked 298-389
Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, Ranked 298-389
Roosevelt University, Chicago, Ranked 298-389
Southern Illinois University-Edwardsville, Edwardsville, Ranked 298-389
Trinity International University, Deerfield, Ranked 298-389
National Liberal Arts Colleges
Wheaton College, Wheaton, Ranked 61
Knox College, Galesburg, Ranked 72
Illinois Wesleyan University, Bloomington, Ranked 80
Lake Forest College, Lake Forest, Ranked 84
Principia College, Elsah, Ranked 93
Augustana College, Rock Island, Ranked 96
Monmouth College, Monmouth, Ranked 127
Illinois College, Jacksonville, Ranked 140
Blackburn College, Carlinville, Ranked 171-221
East-West University, Chicago, Ranked 171-221
Regional Colleges Midwest
Millikin University, Decatur, Ranked 12
Trinity Christian College, Palos Heights, Ranked 21
Quincy University, Quincy, Ranked 28
Eureka College, Eureka, Ranked 33
St. Augustine College, Chicago, Ranked 42
Lincoln College, Lincoln, Ranked 58-76
Regional Universities Midwest
Bradley University, Peoria Ranked 5
Dominican University, River Forest, Ranked 10
North Central College, Naperville, Ranked 10
Elmhurst University, Elmhurst, Ranked 15
Lewis University, Romeoville, Ranked 24
University of Illinois-Springfield, Springfield, Ranked 31
North Park University, Chicago, Ranked 39
Eastern Illinois University, Charleston, Ranked 51
McKendree University, Lebanon, Ranked 51
Olivet Nazarene University, Bourbonnais, Ranked 60
Saint Xavier University, Chicago, Ranked 60
Western Illinois University, Macomb, Ranked 60
Concordia University Chicago, River Forest, Ranked 74
Judson University, Elgin, Ranked 80
Greenville University, Greenville, Ranked 91
Columbia College Chicago, Chicago, Ranked 103
Chicago State University, Chicago, Ranked 119-156
DeVry University, Downers Grove, Ranked 119-156
Northeastern Illinois University, Chicago, Ranked 119-156
Rockford University, Rockford, Ranked 119-156
Governors State University, University Park, Unranked
Princeton University is once again No. 1 among National Universities, and Williams College remains in the top spot among National Liberal Arts Colleges.
For Top Public Schools, the University of California — Los Angeles is No. 1 among National Universities. The United States Naval Academy ranks No. 1 for Top Public Schools among National Liberal Arts Colleges.
See all of 2021’s Best U.S. Colleges by U.S. News & World Report.
This article originally appeared on the Across Illinois Patch