Illinois Colleges with low acceptance rates

Colleges with the Lowest Acceptance Rate in Illinois for 2025

These are the most selective public and private four-year colleges in Illinois. The list is ranked by acceptance rate, lowest to highest and limited to schools which reject at least half of all applicants. Leading the list is University of Chicago which sent acceptance letters to only 5% of the 38,631 students who applied and rejected 95%.

Not all schools on the most selective list are overly academically challenging. Some schools with less rigorous test and high school GPA requirements may receive a large numbers of qualified applicants and the school does not have space to admit them all.

If you're looking for challenging colleges, explore rankings of Illinois colleges with the highest SAT scores, highest ACT scores and highest GPA's.
Illinois Low Acceptance % Public Private 4 year

9 results

University of Chicago
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C
Chicago, IL

University of Chicago

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

5% Acceptance Rate

#8 Best Colleges in America

  • 18,339enrollment
  • $27,979net price
  • 1510-1570SAT range
  • 34-35ACT range
  • 3.95Estimated Avg GPA

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Northwestern University
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N
Evanston, IL

Northwestern University

Private 4 Year

1 reviews

7% Acceptance Rate

#16 Best Colleges in America

  • 23,203enrollment
  • $23,341net price
  • 1490-1560SAT range
  • 33-35ACT range
  • 3.92Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 1

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Methodist College of Nursing
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M
Peoria, IL
 

Methodist College of Nursing

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

31% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 391enrollment
  • $35,461net price
  • 800-1160SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • 2.95Avg GPA

Applications Due Jul 23

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The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago
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C
Chicago, IL
 

The Chicago School of Professional Psychology at Chicago

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

33% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 1,243enrollment
  • -net price
  • -SAT range
  • -ACT range
  • NAAvg GPA

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Chicago State University
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C
Chicago, IL

Chicago State University

Public 4 Year

0 reviews

41% Acceptance Rate

#11 Best Public Universities in Illinois

  • 2,324enrollment
  • $9,852net price
  • 750-963SAT range
  • 15-19ACT range
  • 3.18Avg GPA

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University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
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I
Champaign, IL

University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign

Public 4 Year

5 reviews

44% Acceptance Rate

#21 Best Public Universities in America

  • 56,563enrollment
  • $14,297net price
  • 1270-1510SAT range
  • 29-34ACT range
  • 3.79Estimated Avg GPA

Applications Due Jan 5

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Principia College
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P
Elsah, Illinois
 

Principia College

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

44% Acceptance Rate

 

  • 338enrollment
  • $14,904net price
  • 1040-1250SAT range
  • 19-23ACT range
  • 3.34Avg GPA

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Illinois Wesleyan University
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I
Bloomington, IL

Illinois Wesleyan University

Private 4 Year

0 reviews

45% Acceptance Rate

#4 Best Private Colleges in Illinois

  • 1,576enrollment
  • $31,310net price
  • 1140-1330SAT range
  • 24-29ACT range
  • 3.86Avg GPA

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Quincy University
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Q
Quincy, IL

Quincy University

Private 4 Year

3 reviews

50% Acceptance Rate

#24 Best Private Colleges in Illinois

  • 1,280enrollment
  • $17,424net price
  • 1070-1250SAT range
  • 21-25ACT range
  • 3.47Avg GPA

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