Illinois Colleges and Universities
Find Campus Colleges and Universities in Illinois
Illinois has something for everyone from history and recreation to arts and culture. In the North, you find Lake Michigan and the city of Chicago. The plains of the Mississippi River in the south play a significant role in the state's agricultural industry. Illinois is devoted to providing higher education to students attending the state's varied colleges and universities.
Colleges and Universitiesin Illinois
Top-ranked Illinois colleges, universities and technical schools
The University of Chicago is found in the downtown area of Chicago known as Hyde Park. University of Chicago has renowned science, economics and law programs. Nicknamed the ""Ivy League school of the Midwest,"" Northwestern University is a 150-year-old private university with excellent academic degree programs in journalism, economics, education and engineering.
The University of Illinois (U of I) is located in the cities of Urbana and Champaign, a two-hour drive south of Chicago. ""US News & World Report"" magazine included the University of Illinois colleges of engineering, business and education, as well as its Ph.D. programs in chemistry and computer science on a top list of nationally ranked colleges. Illinois Institute of Technology (or Illinois Tech) boasts exceptional engineering programs in the chemical, biological and biomedical sciences. Loyola University in Chicago is a private, Jesuit university famous for its medicine and nursing programs.
Enrollment in Illinois colleges and universities ranges from intimate academic settings of 111 to a large student body of 105,175. Annual tuition ranges from $7,290 to $42,783. Federal assistance is available for those students who qualify. Illinois is proactive in promoting scholarships and grants for occupational areas with shortages, such as nurses, medical personnel and teachers. There are also scholarships that recognize academic prowess.
Illinois career opportunities
The economy in Illinois is especially good in urban centers, such as Chicago. According to the U.S. Census Bureau, the median household income was $53,974 in 2009, while the median housing value came in at $200,400.
Ten of the top companies operating in Illinois include these well-known names:
- Boeing
- Allstate Insurance
- Walgreens
- Sears Holdings
- Caterpillar
- Archer Daniels Midland
- Kraft Foods
- Allstate
- Motorola
- McDonald's Corporation
According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, three important industries driving the Illinois economy are trade, transportation and utilities, education and health services, professional and business services. The highest earnings per occupation were reported among healthcare practitioners and technical, management, architecture and engineering. Healthcare support occupations should show the highest rate of occupational growth. Employment projections predict an 18.74 percent increase in healthcare practitioners and technicians through 2018.
Living in Illinois
While studying at one of Illinois colleges and universities, you may want to take in all the state has to offer. Chicago, the third largest city in the country, is full of culture and entertainment options from architectural wonders and museums to blues clubs and music festivals with world-class cuisine to boot, including the Chicago-style, deep-dish pizza.
The central region of Illinois, where you'll find Springfield and Peoria, features rolling hills, grasslands and state parks, such as the Rock Springs Conservation area. Attending colleges and universities in Illinois' southern region offers fair weather for outdoor activities, such as the Lusk Creek area, which is accessible only by hiking or horseback.
