How did IL and St. Louis metro colleges compare in 2021? Check out these rankings

As National Decision Day approaches this May 1, high school seniors and others entering college are under pressure to wrap up studies while making a final choice on where to head in the fall.

We’ve rounded up rankings from U.S. News & World Report, as well as Forbes, so you can see how Illinois colleges compare. Here’s what we found.

U.S. News & World Report rankings

The U.S. News & World Report ranks colleges and universities based on factors such as graduation and retention rates, social mobility, graduation rate performance, undergraduate academic reputation, faculty resources, student selectivity and financial resources per student. Average alumni giving rate and graduate debt are also considered. More information about the methodology is available online.

Best colleges in St. Louis metropolitan area

Four of the highest ranked universities in the metro-east are in Illinois. Here’s how the institutions stacked up.

1. Washington University in St. Louis, 14 in U.S.

2. Saint Louis University, 103 in U.S.

3. Maryville University of St. Louis, 202 in U.S.

4. University of Missouri St. Louis, 239 in U.S.

5. Principia College, tied at 59 for U.S. liberal arts colleges

6. Webster University, 16 in regional universities Midwest

7. Fontbonne University, 51 in regional universities Midwest

8. McKendree University, 54 in regional universities Midwest

9. Greenville University, 95 in regional universities Midwest

10. Blackburn College, 168 to 222 in U.S. liberal arts colleges

Best colleges in Illinois for all majors

University of Chicago topped this list for the state and tied for sixth place nationally. Northwestern University followed, with a tie for ninth place in the country.

Here are the top 20 colleges and universities in Illinois, according to U.S. News & World Report.

1. University of Chicago, 6 in U.S.

2. Northwestern University, 9 in U.S.

3. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 47 in U.S.

4. Loyola University Chicago, tied for 103 in U.S.

5. University of Illinois Chicago, tied for 103 in U.S.

6. Illinois Institute of Technology, 122 in U.S.

7. DePaul University, 127 in U.S.

8. Illinois State University, 202 in U.S.

9. University of St. Francis, 249 in U.S.

10. Southern Illinois University Carbondale, 263 in U.S.

11. Principia College, tied at 59 for U.S. liberal arts colleges

12. Wheaton College, tied at 59 for U.S. liberal arts colleges

13. Knox College, 79 for U.S. liberal arts colleges

14. Lake Forest College, 82 for U.S. liberal arts colleges

15. Illinois Wesleyan University, 89 for U.S. liberal arts colleges

16. Augustana College, 92 for U.S. liberal arts colleges

17. Monmouth College (129 for U.S. liberal arts colleges)

18. Illinois College, 146 for U.S. liberal arts colleges

19. Bradley University, 2 in regional Midwest universities

20. Dominican University, 10 in regional universities Midwest

Best Illinois colleges for engineering

This ranking includes only schools that do not offer Ph.D.s in engineering.

1. Bradley University, 33 in U.S. engineering programs

2. Loyola University Chicago, 39 in U.S. engineering programs

3. Southern Illinois University Edwardsville, 53 in U.S. engineering programs

4. Northern Illinois University, 62 in U.S. engineering programs

5. Olivet Nazarene University, 166 in U.S. engineering programs

6. Lewis University, tied for 185 in U.S. engineering programs

7. Western Illinois University, tied for 185 in U.S. engineering programs

Top 10 Illinois business schools

1. Bradley University

2. DePaul University

3. Dominican University

4. Eastern Illinois University

5. Governors State University

6. Illinois Institute of Technology

7. Illinois State University

8. Loyola University Chicago

9. Northeastern Illinois University

10. Northern Illinois University

Here’s where to find more rankings.

Forbes America’s Top Colleges

Forbes’ America’s Top Colleges list compares how schools measure for debt, alumni salary, return on investment, graduation rate, mentions in Forbes American Leaders List, retention rate and academic success.

Here’s how universities in Illinois did.

1. Northwestern University, 10 in U.S.

2. University of Chicago, 23 in U.S.

3. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 31 in U.S.

4. University of Illinois at Chicago, 122 in U.S.

5. Wheaton College, 211 in U.S.

6. Loyola University Chicago, 220 in U.S.

7. DePaul University, 227 in U.S.

8. Illinois State University, 232 in U.S.

9. Illinois Institute of Technology, 261 in U.S.

10. Bradley University, 270 in U.S.

Here’s the full list.

Meredith Howard

Belleville News-Democrat

Meredith Howard is a service journalist with the Belleville News-Democrat. She is a Baylor University graduate and has previously freelanced with the Illinois Times and the Pulitzer Center on Crisis Reporting. Support my work with a digital subscription