A new recently-released ranking showcases the top public universities in the state of Illinois, and only one school received an A-plus rating.
The ranking, released by Niche, ranks approximately 500 colleges and universities around the country using a series of data points and real-world reviews from students, parents and faculty.
According to the company, the only school that received an A-plus in Illinois, and was ranked the state’s top public university, was the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
The school received top marks for its academics, diversity and value, as well as an A-grade in athletics.
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The University of Illinois’ campus in Chicago finished in second place with an A-minus grade, and was followed by Illinois State University in third place.
Southern Illinois University’s Edwardsville campus ranked fourth, and the University of Illinois-Springfield rounded out the top-five.
Niche says its rankings come via a variety of data points, including more than 100 million reviews and survey responses, as well as public sources like the FBI and the U.S. Census Bureau.
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This year’s rankings reduced the weight of ACT/SAT scores, as many colleges have moved away from using standardized tests.
A full list of sources can be found on the company’s website.
