Illinois Dominates U.S. News Rankings With 4 Top Colleges

A new ranking from U.S. News & World Report reveals that Illinois has some of the nation's best universities, with four institutions landing in the top 100 and two cracking the top ten. Factoring graduation rates, faculty-student ratios, and student outcomes, U.S. News noted that they adjusted some of the numbers to reflect the "evolving landscape" of higher education; however, the Illinois schools still performed well.

University of Illinois Chicago Cracks the Top 100

Starting nearest to 100, the University of Illinois Chicago was ranked #84. UIC is ranked in the top quarter of more than 400 schools nationwide, so this is not something to be taken lightly.

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Urbana-Champaign Lands in Top 40

Next is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign with a very strong #36 ranking. If you know someone who attended the University of Illinois, you can expect them to talk about this for the remainder of the year.

Northwestern Joins Nation’s Academic Elite

Now the heavyweights. My personal dream school, Northwestern University, was tied at #7 with Duke, Johns Hopkins, and the University of Pennsylvania. That's some serious academic company and an apparent reason why I wasn't accepted.

READ MORE: These Illinois Schools Are Just as Impossible to Get Into

University of Chicago Earns Prestigious Rank

Although I was unable to gain admission to Northwestern, I didn't even apply to the University of Chicago, which was ranked #6. It barely beat out Northwestern, but it shows that it's one of the most elite and prestigious schools in America.

Which Illinois School Deserves Bragging Rights?

So Illinois lands on the list four times, with schools ranging from top-tier public schools to some of the most high-profile private campuses in the country. Considering it is so close, though, between the top two, who deserves bragging rights? University of Chicago or Northwestern?