Metro area directory

Colleges in the Greater Chicago Area

CampusPin lists 56 colleges and universities across the Greater Chicago metro, 44 universities and 12 community colleges, with 12 public and 44 private institutions across 9 cities.

The Chicago metro covers the city itself plus suburbs such as Evanston, Naperville, and the western and northern collar communities. It combines major research universities, Catholic and other private institutions, and one of the larger community college systems in the Midwest.

Greater Chicago colleges by the numbers

Public / private
12 public · 44 private
4-year / 2-year
44 universities · 12 community colleges
Cities covered
9
Largest by enrollment
University of Illinois Chicago
Lowest published tuition
Oakton College ($3,985)
Published tuition range
$3,985–$66,939

Among the 56 colleges in the Greater Chicago area, University of Illinois Chicago is the largest by enrollment; Oakton College has the lowest published in-state tuition at $3,985; University of Chicago is the most selective at a 5% acceptance rate. Published figures are sticker price, not net price, compare net price and outcomes on each profile.

Colleges by city in the Greater Chicago area

Chicago (44)

Compare and search across the Greater Chicago area

Filter every Illinois college by tuition, size, acceptance rate, and setting, then pin and compare your shortlist side by side, no account required.

Other major U.S. metro areas

Data sources & methodology

College listings for the Greater Chicago metro are aggregated live from each institution's record, compiled from federal datasets and the institutions' own published information.

Sources used across this page

Not every source informs every figure. Each data point draws on the source appropriate to it see the relevant section and the data dictionary for field-level provenance.

  • IPEDS / NCES College Navigator

    Federal enrollment, admissions, tuition, retention, and program data. Released annually with a 1–2 year lag.

  • U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard

    Net price by income band, post-graduation earnings, and federal aid context.

  • Institutional websites

    Each school's official admissions, registrar, and financial-aid pages are the authoritative source for current details.

Where a value is unavailable it is shown as unavailable, never as 0, free, or a negative judgment. Always confirm final details with the institution before applying.

Suggested citation

CampusPin. Colleges in the Greater Chicago Area. Retrieved from https://campuspin.com/colleges-in-metro/chicago