Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Illinois

Illinois has 37 colleges in the CollegeCalcAI database, and this page ranks every one of them by acceptance rate. The most selective are University of Chicago (4%), Northwestern University (8%), and Illinois Wesleyan University (39%). 2 schools admit a quarter of applicants or fewer, the median Illinois college admits 71%, and 10 are public against 27 private. At the other end, Southern Illinois University Edwardsville admits 98%. Open any school for its full admissions profile, or check your own odds free.

Schools

Median acceptance

71%

Most selective

University of Chicago

4% acceptance

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Your chances at these colleges

Estimated chance of admission for three typical students, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA; 2, 4 and 7 AP courses respectively; Regular Decision; no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook.

Which of the Hardest Colleges in Illinois can I get into with a 3.7 GPA and a 1300 SAT?

By CollegeCalcAI's model, a student with a 3.7 unweighted GPA and a 1300 SAT has a Likely or Safety estimate (45% or higher) at 35 of the 37 colleges here, including Illinois Wesleyan University, University of Illinois and Chicago State University. The other 2 are Reach. Estimates assume Regular Decision and no hook; courses, activities and essays move them.

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT
College	3.3 GPA1150 SAT	3.7 GPA1300 SAT	4.0 GPA1500 SAT
University of Chicagoadmits 4%	4%Reach	6%Reach	8%Reach
Northwestern Universityadmits 8%	7%Reach	10%Reach	15%Reach
Illinois Wesleyan Universityadmits 39%	34%Target	69%Likely	87%Safety
University of Illinoisadmits 42%	28%Target	57%Likely	87%Safety
Chicago State Universityadmits 43%	67%Likely	83%Safety	91%Safety
Judson Universityadmits 48%	67%Likely	89%Safety	95%Safety
Governors State Universityadmits 48%	71%Safety	89%Safety	95%Safety
Quincy Universityadmits 51%	71%Safety	92%Safety	97%Safety
Illinois Institute of Technologyadmits 55%	70%Safety	95%Safety	98%Safety
Olivet Nazarene Universityadmits 56%	75%Safety	96%Safety	98%Safety
Lake Forest Collegeadmits 57%	68%Likely	95%Safety	98%Safety
Augustana Collegeadmits 63%	79%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Eastern Illinois Universityadmits 65%	95%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Saint Francis University (IL)admits 65%	93%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Millikin Universityadmits 67%	89%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
North Park Universityadmits 69%	91%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Northern Illinois Universityadmits 70%	94%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Western Illinois Universityadmits 71%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Knox Collegeadmits 71%	89%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Lewis Universityadmits 71%	96%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
McKendree Universityadmits 72%	96%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Elmhurst Universityadmits 74%	95%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
DePaul Universityadmits 76%	94%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Bradley Universityadmits 77%	96%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
North Central Collegeadmits 77%	96%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety

Show all 37 colleges

Estimated admission chance for three student profiles at each college: 3.3 GPA, 1150 SAT; 3.7 GPA, 1300 SAT; 4.0 GPA, 1500 SAT (continued)
Illinois Collegeadmits 78%	97%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Aurora Universityadmits 81%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Loyola University Chicagoadmits 82%	96%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Saint Xavier Universityadmits 84%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Trinity Christian Collegeadmits 85%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Illinois Springfieldadmits 86%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Southern Illinois Universityadmits 87%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Wheaton College (IL)admits 87%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Illinois State Universityadmits 88%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Concordia University Chicagoadmits 93%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Benedictine Universityadmits 95%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety
Southern Illinois University Edwardsvilleadmits 98%	98%Safety	98%Safety	98%Safety

Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities or compare your own list with the free admissions API.

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CollegeCalcAI. "Hardest Colleges to Get Into in Illinois." 2026. https://collegecalcai.com/data/hardest-colleges-in-illinois

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71%median acceptance rate, hardest colleges to get into in illinois (37 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI

<a href="https://collegecalcai.com/data/hardest-colleges-in-illinois?utm_source=embed&utm_medium=statcard" style="display:inline-block;padding:16px 20px;border:1px solid #E5E9F0;border-radius:14px;text-decoration:none;font-family:system-ui,sans-serif;background:#fff">71%median acceptance rate, hardest colleges to get into in illinois (37 schools)Source: CollegeCalcAI</a>

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Acceptance rates and admitted test ranges reflect publicly reported data (U.S. Department of Education / NCES IPEDS / Common Data Sets) and are rounded. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.