List of Private Universities & Colleges in Illinois

With over two dozen private colleges in Illinois, students can access an array of schools with a single click using MatchCollege. Our easy-to-use search tools and school information help students everywhere get connected to top private colleges in Illinois as quick as ever. Private colleges can be found from Chicago to Lisle and from Deerfield to Evanston. Top ranked private colleges in Illinois include DePaul University, Illinois Institute of Technology, Loyola University – Chicago, Northwestern University, University of Chicago, Robert Morris University, Lewis University, Monmouth College and the Illinois Institute of Art. Private colleges are defined as schools that do not accept state funding to operate. Instead, private universities rely upon donations, internal operations, and tuition to function. Colleges in the private sector are typically going to have smaller class sizes and lower student to teacher ratios. For students looking for additional classroom communication and collaboration, a private college may be a great place to start researching schools. Learn more about each private school around Illinois with MatchCollege and gather information from top universities in one convenient portal.

List of Large 4-Year Private Universities in Illinois

There are 24 large private universities in our database for Illinois. Follow the links below to get more details about each school.

Large Universities with Research Facilities or Faculty

The universities listed below offer many diverse academic programs, have a large student body, and usually have research facilities or faculty involved with research. These schools very often have graduate and professional programs as well.

Large Primarily Academic Universities

Each university listed below offers a diverse set of degrees and programs, unlike the research universities listed above, these schools contain little to no research activity on campus and are primarily academic.

• (DeVry University-Addison) in Chicago, IL
• Aurora University in Aurora, IL
• Bradley University in Peoria, IL
• Columbia College Chicago in Chicago, IL
• Dominican University (Dominican) in River Forest, IL
• Elmhurst College in Elmhurst, IL
• Lewis University (Lewis College) in Romeoville, IL
• McKendree University in Lebanon, IL
• Millikin University in Decatur, IL
• North Central College (NCC) in Naperville, IL
• North Park University in Chicago, IL
• Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, IL
• Robert Morris University Illinois (Robert Morris College) in Chicago, IL
• Roosevelt University in Chicago, IL
• Saint Xavier University (St. Xavier University) in Chicago, IL
• University of St Francis in Joliet, IL

Small to Medium Sized 4-Year Universities

The 4-year schools listed below have a small to medium sized student body and may offer a wide range of associate and bachelor's degrees. Get more information about each school by clicking the links below.

• Argosy University in Chicago, IL
• Blackburn College in Carlinville, IL
• East - West University in Chicago, IL
• Eureka College in Eureka, IL
• Greenville College in Greenville, IL
• Illinois College in Jacksonville, IL
• Illinois Wesleyan University in Bloomington, IL
• Judson University in Elgin, IL
• Kendall College in Chicago, IL
• Knox College in Galesburg, IL
• Lake Forest College in Lake Forest, IL
• Lincoln College in Lincoln, IL
• MacMurray College (Mac) in Jacksonville, IL
• Midstate College in Peoria, IL
• Monmouth College in Monmouth, IL
• Principia College in Elsah, IL
• Quincy University in Quincy, IL
• Rockford College (Rockford College) in Rockford, IL
• Saint Augustine College (St. Augustine College) in Chicago, IL
• Trinity Christian College in Palos Heights, IL

4-Year Colleges with a Special Focus on an Area of Study

The schools below are grouped by their special area of focus. To learn about admissions, tuition & fees, programs offered, and more click on the school names below.

Technology-Related Schools

• in Orland Park, IL

Schools of Art, Music, and Design

• American Academy of Art in Chicago, IL
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago in Chicago, IL
• The Illinois Institute of Art in Chicago, IL
• The Illinois Institute of Art in Schaumburg, IL

Health Professions Schools

• Chamberlain College of Nursing Campus in Addison, IL
• Methodist College in Peoria, IL

Special-Focus Institutions

• Concordia University Chicago (Concordia University Chicago) in River Forest, IL

Theological Seminaries, Bible Colleges, and Other Faith-Related Institutions

• Hebrew Theological College in Skokie, IL
• Lincoln Christian University in Lincoln, IL
• Moody Bible Institute in Chicago, IL

Notes: Tuition & fee amounts are for both Illinois in-state residents and out of state students, unless noted otherwise. The tuition information displayed is an estimate, which we calculated based on historical data and should be solely used for informational purposes only. Please contact the respective school for information about the current school year.

Source: IPEDS Survey 2012-2015: Data obtained from the US Dept. of Education's Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS). Data may vary depending on school and academic year.