11 Illinois Schools Make Princeton Review’s “Best Colleges 2027″

College isn't getting any cheaper. In fact, these days, looking at the price tag of a four-year degree can produce the same reaction as looking at the bill after a very nice dinner. It sounds something like this:

Wait... how much?!

So if you're going to spend that kind of money on higher education, it makes sense to find a school where you're getting as much as possible for those hard-earned dollars. And Illinois has plenty of options. Eleven Illinois colleges have made The Princeton Review's Best Colleges for 2027 list.

a very tall building covered in lots of green plants

Let's See Who's On The List...

The eleven Illinois schools to make the list are:

1. Illinois Institute of Technology
2. DePaul University
3. University of Chicago
4. Northwestern University
5. Wheaton College
6. Lake Forest College
7. University of St. Francis
8. Illinois Wesleyan University
9. Bradley University
10. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
11. Knox College

Those schools are part of The Princeton Review's Best 392 Colleges: 2027 Edition. The important distinction here is that The Princeton Review isn't saying one of those schools is #1 and another is #392. Instead, it considers the 392 schools academically outstanding and then ranks the top 25 in 50 different categories.

And this isn't simply a bunch of college administrators sitting around deciding which schools sound impressive. The rankings are heavily based on the people who actually attend the schools.

a view of a city from across a lake

The Survey Sample For This List Is Huge

The Princeton Review surveyed about 172,000 students at the 392 colleges, with students answering 98 questions covering academics and administration, campus life, fellow students and their own experiences. That's roughly 439 students per school.

Not to brag here, but Illinois produced some particularly impressive results. The University of Chicago ranked #1 nationally for best health services, while also placing #4 for best college libraries and #7 for best college dorms. Lake Forest College was #11 nationally for best health services.

So while college is definitely expensive, Illinois students have no shortage of schools where that investment can potentially pay off in more ways than just earning a diploma.