Illinois Colleges & Universities


With nationally recognized programs ranging from film studies to engineering and journalism to marketing, Illinois universities and colleges offer students a vast and diverse array of degrees leading to rewarding careers.

Record High Attend Illinois Colleges and Universities
A record high number of 867,090 students enrolled in Illinois colleges and universities in the fall of 2008, the last year for which complete numbers are available. That figure represented an enrollment increase of 5.6 percent over the previous autumn, which has shown slow but steady increases in total enrollment since the mid-1990s, according to the State of Illinois Board of Higher Education. But Illinois higher education isn't just about quantity. A whopping 81 Illinois universities and colleges made the cut for U.S. News & World Report's "Best Colleges 2010," and 31 made the magazine's "Top Tier" list.

Illinois Colleges: Experience the Culture of Chicago
Illinois' largest city and the third-largest city in the country, Chicago, is home to nearly three million residents, the world's busiest airport, and sixteen universities and colleges. "For number and variety of colleges and universities, the Chicago area rivals the Northeast," U.S. News & World Report declared in August 2009.

Located on the shores of Lake Michigan, the Windy City has a long history of doing things biggest and best. Fifty-three Fortune 500 companies call Chicago home. From the annual Taste of Chicago food and entertainment festival to the Willis Tower (better known as the Sears Tower, the tallest building in North America), Chicago is home to innovation and excitement.

Industry in Illinois
Although Illinois is one of America's most productive farming states, its jobs also span a variety of sectors:
  •   Service, including financial services and consulting (36 percent)
  •   Wholesale and retail trade (19 percent)
  •   Manufacturing (15 percent)
  •   Government and military services (12 percent)

One of the nation's major transportation hubs, Illinois has the greatest concentration of land, water, and air transportation facilities in the world.
Campus Programs

  • DeVry University

     Campus Locations: Addison, Chicago, Chicago, Chicago, Elgin, Gurnee, Naperville, Oakbrook Terrace, Tinley Park

    DeVry University provides quality education that employers respect, and is accredited by The Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association (ncahlc.org), the same organization that accredits many other well-known public and private schools.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • University of Phoenix

     Campus Locations: Schaumburg

    With convenient class locations as well as online learning, University of Phoenix makes quality higher education highly accessible. Whether you’re seeking an associate’s, bachelor’s, master’s or doctoral degree, we can help you reach your goal while you work—and much sooner than you might expect.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • The Art Institutes

     Campus Locations: Chicago, Schaumburg

    The Art Institutes system of schools is a leading educator of students in the creative and applied arts, including design, media, fashion, and culinary programs. Every program of study offered to you is regularly reviewed by industry leaders, advisors, and employers for relevance in the marketplace. Changes are made, if necessary, to integrate subject matter into the curriculum so that our degree programs reflect the way things are done in the real world of work. Programs listed are not offered at all locations.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • DeVry University's Keller Graduate School of Management

     Campus Locations: Chicago, Chicago, Elgin, Gurnee, Lincolnshire, Naperville, Oakbrook Terrace, Schaumburg, Tinley Park

    A degree from DeVry University’s Keller Graduate School of Management gives you the credibility to succeed in your career, whether you are just starting out, already in the work force or contemplating a career change. For more than 34 years, Keller has delivered relevant, practical graduate management education that has helped thousands of alumni transform their skills and sharpen their competitive edge.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Le Cordon Bleu Schools North America

     Campus Locations: Chicago

    Prepare for your culinary career at Le Cordon Bleu Schools. Choose from quality programs in Culinary Arts, Pâtisserie & Baking, or Hospitality & Restaurant Management.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Westwood College

     Campus Locations: Calumet City, Chicago, Schiller Park, Woodridge

    Westwood College isn’t your typical institution of higher learning. With our career-focused education, students can earn a bachelor’s degree in just three years and some associate degrees in as little as 20 months

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • International Academy of Design and Technology

     Campus Locations: Chicago, Schaumburg

    Prepare for a creative career in design, technology or business at the International Academy of Design & Technology. Convenient campus locations across the United States.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • TechSkills

     Campus Locations: Fairview Heights

    TechSkills offers flexible IT and business certification training to fit your busy lifestyle and give you the skills you need for a career as a network technician, web developer, bookkeeper, legal assistant, and more.Choose from over 30 locations nationwide and find a job with our powerful career placement tools.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Argosy University

     Campus Locations: Chicago, Schaumburg

    To succeed in today's competitive workforce, you need a solid foundation of knowledge - and the power to put it to work. And that's exactly what an Argosy University education offers. Drawing upon our more than 30-year history of granting degrees in professional psychology, Argosy University has developed a curriculum that focuses on interpersonal skills and practical experience alongside academic learning. Because getting a degree is one thing. Succeeding, quite another.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Harrington College of Design

     Campus Locations: Chicago

    Located in the heart of Chicago’s famous ‘Loop’, the Harrington College of Design has been providing professional design education for over 70 years.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Sanford-Brown College

     Campus Locations: Collinsville

    Prepare Yourself for Success. If you're interested in a school that can prepare you for the working world, come to Sanford-Brown College.For over 135 years, Sanford-Brown has been providing students with the hands-on skills employers are looking for. Complete programs in the areas of Technology, Business, and Healthcare in as little as 9 months.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • ITT Technical Institute

     Campus Locations: Burr Ridge, Matteson, Mount Prospect

    With over 100 campuses nationwide and online programs offered as well, the ITT Technical Institutes may have a program that is convenient for you. ITT Tech is dedicated to teaching technology.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Fox College

     Campus Locations: Oak Lawn

    Need that degree, but can’t spend four years in school? Jumpstart your career with a degree from Fox College. Fox College, located near Chicago, has a stellar reputation for preparing high school graduates just like you for real jobs, in the real world, in no time flat. Learn from highly respected instructors who have real-world experience and gain the skills your future employers will be seeking.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Kendall College

     Campus Locations: Chicago

    Earn your degree or certificate and gain real-world experience in fast-growing careers such as Culinary Arts, Baking and Pastry, Hospitality Management at Kendall College.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Lincoln College of Technology

     Campus Locations: Melrose Park

    Lincoln College of Technology provides career-focused, hands-on training programs with industry experienced instructors.  Get the skills for a rewarding in-demand career.

    For more student consumer information, please visit www.lincolnedu.com/lincolnconsumerinfo

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Vatterott College

     Campus Locations: Quincy

    Advance your career with a certificate, diploma or bachelor’s degree from Vatterott College. Our innovative, hands-on training helps you build the life you want.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Northwestern Business College

     Campus Locations: Bridgeview, Chicago, Naperville

    Northwestern Business College can help you succeed with small class sizes, supportive faculty, and flexible class schedules designed to fit into your busy life.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Rasmussen College

     Campus Locations: Aurora, Rockford

    You deserve a better career and a better life. Rasmussen College in Minnesota can help you get both. Earn a career-track degree in Business, Child Care, Criminal Justice, or Healthcare. Our personalized classes focus on your needs.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›

  • Illinois School of Health Careers

     Campus Locations: Chicago, Chicago

    Look no further than Illinois School of Health Careers to give you the training you need to excel in Health Care.

    › Show/Hide Programs

    School Info › Request More Info ›
Illinois Metro Areas
Illinois Facts & Stats
State Website: http://www.illinois.gov

Admission to Statehood: December 3, 1818 (21st)

Area: 57,918 mi2 (25th)

Capital: Springfield

Population (as of 2000): 12,419,293

Economy Agriculture: Corn, soybeans, hogs, cattle, dairy products, wheat

Economy Industry: Machinery, food processing, electric equipment, chemical products, printing and publishing, fabricated metal products, transportation equipment, petroleum, coal

Largest City: Chicago

Animal: White-Tailed Deer

Bird: Cardinal

Citizens: Illinoisians

Dance: The Square Dance

Fossil: The Tully Monster (a soft-bodied marine animal that lived 280 to 340 million years ago.)

Flower: Purple Violet

Highest Point: Charles Mound at 1235 feet above sea level

Lowest Point: Mississippi River; 279 feet

Mineral: Flurite

Motto: "State Sovereignty, National Union"

Nicknames: "Land of Lincoln"; "The Prarie State"

Origin of Name: "The word may have originated around the time French explorers Louis Jolliet and Jaques Marquette explored the region. The Illinois State Museum said it may have been based on the local people's word 'irenweewa,' meaning: 'he speaks in the ordinary way.'...Writings by early French explorers, including Jolliet and Marquette include the word spelled 'Ilinois' or 'Illinois.'" - C. Linehan, The Daily Illini

Snack: Popcorn

Song: "Illinois", words by Charles H. Chamberlin and music by Archibald Johnston

Sport / Hockey: Chicago Blackhawks (NHL)

Sports / Baseball: Chicago Cubs, Chicago White Sox

Sports / Basketball: Chicago Bulls (NBA), Chicago Sky (WNBA)

Sports / Football: Chicago Bears (NFL), Chicago Rush (AFL)

Sports / Soccer: Chicago Fire (MLS), Chicago Storm (Major Indoor Soccer League)

Tree: White Oak
Related Articles
Public/Private Universities