Twenty-six Illinois colleges made Forbes' ninth annual ranking of the best colleges and universities in the country.
In collaboration with the Center for College Affordability and Productivity, Forbes used data from the U.S. Department of Education, Payscale and its own America's Leaders list to rank a total of 660 schools based on an institution's return on investment, or ROI.
As Forbes notes, its ranking differs from others because it focuses more heavily on what students are getting out of college rather than looking at metrics that got students into a school, such as ACT and SAT scores.
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Like every college ranking, this list cannot quantify the mystery of picking a college: how it connects to a student's heart and ambitions. But what it does do is connect directly to those looking for a consumer guide to the ROI of every college. In the last four decades tuition and fees have risen 270 percent at public schools and 204 percent at their private counterparts. For those footing a higher ed bill stretching as high as $250,000, the only question is: Is my college worth the investment?
Among the factors Forbes used to calculate this year's ranking are: post-graduate success, student debt, student satisfaction, academic success and graduation rates (you can read more about the methodology here).
Of the 660 schools on the list, here are the 26 colleges and universities in Illinois that made the cut, with national ranks ranging from No. 15 to No. 643.
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