Physical Sciences colleges in Illinois, ranked by graduates
16 colleges in Illinois awarded at least 10 bachelor's degrees in physical sciences in 2023: 675 degrees, 2.1% of all bachelor's degrees at those colleges (1.4% across every college CollegeCalcAI tracks). University of Illinois graduated the most (200, 2.3% of its class). 7 of the 16 are public universities. The median acceptance rate among them is 71%; the most selective is University of Chicago at 4%.
Physical Sciences colleges in Illinois
Every Illinois college awarding at least 10 bachelor's degrees in physical sciences, ranked by 2023 graduates. Click a college for its physical sciences page.
| # | College | Type | Degrees (2023) | Share of grads | Acceptance rate | SAT 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | University of Illinois | Public | 200 | 2.3% | 42% | 1480 |
| 2 | University of Chicago | Private | 135 | 7% | 4% | 1570 |
| 3 | Northern Illinois University | Public | 50 | 2% | 70% | 1180 |
| 4 | Illinois State University | Public | 48 | 1.1% | 88% | 1220 |
| 5 | Northwestern University | Private | 34 | 1.6% | 8% | 1560 |
| 6 | Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | Public | 29 | 1.5% | 98% | 1180 |
| 7 | Western Illinois University | Public | 28 | 2.5% | 71% | 1060 |
| 8 | Loyola University Chicago | Private | 22 | 0.9% | 82% | 1330 |
| 9 | Lewis University | Private | 21 | 2.2% | 71% | 1150 |
| 10 | Eastern Illinois University | Public | 19 | 1.7% | 65% | 1080 |
| 11 | Illinois Wesleyan University | Private | 18 | 5.3% | 39% | 1300 |
| 12 | Lake Forest College | Private | 16 | 3.8% | 57% | 1270 |
| 13 | Southern Illinois University | Public | 15 | 0.8% | 87% | 1150 |
| 14 | Wheaton College (IL) | Private | 15 | 2.9% | 87% | 1230 |
| 15 | Bradley University | Private | 13 | 1.4% | 77% | 1260 |
| 16 | Illinois Institute of Technology | Private | 12 | 2% | 55% | 1230 |
Questions about physical sciences colleges in Illinois
What is the best college for physical sciences in Illinois?
By bachelor's degrees awarded in 2023, the largest physical sciences programs in Illinois are University of Illinois (200), University of Chicago (135), Northern Illinois University (50). "Best" depends on your profile: this page ranks every Illinois college in the field by output and shows each one's acceptance rate and admitted SAT so you can match it to your own numbers.
How many colleges in Illinois offer physical sciences?
16 four-year colleges in Illinois awarded 10 or more bachelor's degrees in physical sciences in 2023, 7 public and 9 private, for 675 graduates in total.
Is in-state status an advantage for physical sciences in Illinois?
At the 7 public universities on this list, Illinois residents are usually admitted at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants and pay in-state tuition. CollegeCalcAI applies the residency effect when you set your home state, and the per-major adjustment when you set the major.
Physical Sciences elsewhere
The same field in other states, and the national ranking.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 Completions (bachelor's degrees, first majors, CIP 2-digit series), joined to CollegeCalcAI's admissions dataset. Built 2026-09-19. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are not predictions or guarantees.