Illinois Colleges & Universities

Bloomington, IL — Private liberal arts university, est. 1850; home of the Titans; College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin (CCIW) member; Division III; not to be confused with Indiana University Bloomington — this institution is in McLean County, Illinois; strong programs in music, theatre, and natural sciences in the twin cities of Bloomington-Normal

Carbondale, IL — Public research university, est. 1869; home of the Salukis; Missouri Valley Conference member; one of the most successful football programs in FCS history (multiple national championships under coach Bob Smith in the 1980s); alma mater of Walt Frazier (Basketball HOF) — "Clyde" who starred at SIU before the New York Knicks discovered him; strong programs in aviation, engineering, and the arts

Champaign, IL — Public flagship research university, est. 1867; home of the Fighting Illini; Big Ten member; alma mater of Dick Butkus (Pro Football HOF), Red Grange (Pro Football HOF), George Halas (Pro Football HOF), Lou Boudreau (Baseball HOF), and Jeff George (#1 NFL Draft pick 1990); one of the great all-around public universities in America; renowned for engineering, computer science, architecture, and agricultural science programs; Memorial Stadium is one of the most storied venues in college football

Charleston, IL — Public university, est. 1899; home of the Panthers; Ohio Valley Conference member; alma mater of Tony Romo (Dallas Cowboys quarterback) and Jimmy Garoppolo; produced more NFL players per capita than almost any school its size; located in Coles County in east-central Illinois near Lincoln Log Cabin State Historic Site

Chicago, IL — Public university, est. 1867; home of the Cougars; Western Athletic Conference member; located on Chicago's South Side; one of the most diverse universities in Illinois; serves one of Chicago's historically underserved communities; the school's survival and recent athletic program rebuilding has been a story of community resilience

Chicago, IL — Private Catholic university, est. 1898; home of the Blue Demons; Big East Conference member; historically one of the great urban basketball programs in America — led by coach Ray Meyer for 42 years and alma mater of mark Aguirre and Terry Cummings; situated in Chicago's Lincoln Park neighborhood; consistently ranked among the top schools for business, law, and the arts in the Midwest

Chicago, IL — Private Jesuit research university, est. 1870; home of the Ramblers; Atlantic 10 Conference member; one of the largest Jesuit universities in the U.S.; perhaps most famous in sports for the 1963 NCAA basketball championship — the first integrated team (with four Black starters) to win the national title — a historic milestone in American sports; made another Cinderella run to the Final Four in 2018 led by team chaplain Sister Jean; located on the shores of Lake Michigan on Chicago's North Side

Chicago, IL — Public university, est. 1867; home of the Golden Eagles; Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference member; Division III; serves a highly diverse urban student population on Chicago's North Side; strong programs in education, business, and interdisciplinary studies

Chicago, IL — Private research university, est. 1945; home of the Lakers; Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference member; founded as an explicitly anti-segregationist institution at a time when many universities discriminated; located in Chicago's downtown Loop; strong programs in music (Chicago College of Performing Arts), law, and social sciences

University Park, IL (Will County) — Public university, est. 1969; home of the Jaguars; Chicagoland Collegiate Athletic Conference member; serves the south suburban Chicago region; known for its distinctive brutalist architecture and strong programs in health sciences, education, and social work

Decatur, IL — Private liberal arts university affiliated with the Presbyterian Church, est. 1901; home of the Big Blue; College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin member; Division III; located in Decatur, the "Soybean Capital of the World"; strong programs in business, education, and the performing arts; part of Decatur's rich cultural and athletic heritage

DeKalb, IL — Public research university, est. 1895; home of the Huskies; Mid-American Conference member; won the 2012 GoDaddy Bowl and the 1983 Division I-AA national championship; alma mater of Jordan Lynch (Heisman Trophy finalist 2013) and Mike Shanahan; located in DeKalb, the county seat of DeKalb County and the original home of barbed wire manufacturing in America

Evanston, IL — Private research university, est. 1851; home of the Wildcats; Big Ten member; one of only a handful of elite private universities that competes in a Power Five conference; alma mater of Otto Graham (Pro Football HOF) and Padgett Powell; located on the shore of Lake Michigan just north of Chicago; consistently ranked among the top 15 universities in the U.S.; strong programs in journalism, law, medicine, and engineering

Galesburg, IL — Private liberal arts college, est. 1837; home of the Prairie Fire; Midwest Conference member; one of the oldest colleges in Illinois; birthplace of Abraham Lincoln's famous fifth debate with Stephen Douglas (the Lincoln-Douglas debates in 1858); strong programs in creative writing, economics, and science; known for its pioneering role in accepting women and Black students among the earliest in the Midwest

Lake Forest, IL — Private liberal arts college, est. 1857; home of the Foresters; Midwest Conference member; located in the prestigious North Shore community of Lake Forest on Lake Michigan; strong programs in business, the humanities, and fine arts; serves the affluent communities of Lake County

Macomb, IL — Public university, est. 1899; home of the Leathernecks; Missouri Valley Conference member; alma mater of countless professional athletes from western Illinois; one of the most picturesque campuses in the Midwest, centered on the great agricultural plains of western Illinois near the Mississippi River

Normal, IL — Public university, est. 1857; home of the Redbirds; Missouri Valley Conference member; one of the most successful programs in FCS football history; alma mater of Dick Vitale (broadcaster), Jeff Cirillo (MLB), and multiple NFL players; located in the twin cities of Bloomington-Normal; the first public university established in Illinois; strong programs in education, business, and the sciences

Peoria, IL — Private university, est. 1897; home of the Braves; Missouri Valley Conference member; one of the great mid-major basketball programs in America — the Peoria basketball tradition is deeply embedded in Illinois culture; alma mater of Hersey Hawkins (NBA), Laney Stover, and other Peoria-area legends; historic Carver Arena is one of the great small-market college basketball venues

Quincy, IL — Private Catholic liberal arts university, est. 1860; home of the Hawks; Great Lakes Valley Conference member; Division II; located in Adams County on the Mississippi River, one of Illinois's great historic river cities; home of the Lincoln-Douglas debate site; strong programs in business, education, and health sciences

River Forest, IL — Private Catholic liberal arts university, est. 1901; home of the Stars; Northern Athletics Collegiate Conference member; Division III; located in River Forest, just west of Oak Park on Chicago's near west suburbs; affiliated with the Dominican Order; strong programs in library and information science, social work, and education

Rock Island, IL — Private liberal arts college affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church, est. 1860; home of the Vikings; College Conference of Illinois and Wisconsin member; Division III; consistent football powerhouse with multiple NCAA national championships; alma mater of Jon Carlson (multiple Olympics) and other Illinois Quad Cities athletes; located in Rock Island at the confluence of the Rock and Mississippi rivers

Wheaton, IL — Private evangelical Christian liberal arts college, est. 1860; home of the Thunder; CCIW member; consistently ranked the top liberal arts college in the Midwest by U.S. News & World Report; alma mater of Billy Graham (briefly) and numerous athletes; located in DuPage County, the same community where Red Grange became a legend at Wheaton High School