Evanston, Illinois – Several colleges and universities in Illinois and the Midwest have secured spots in the U.S. News & World Report’s latest ranking of “Best Colleges” for 2025, with many institutions making significant advancements on the esteemed list.
Released on Tuesday, the 40th edition of the annual report evaluated close to 1,500 colleges and universities across the nation, employing 17 different criteria and weights for ranking. These criteria included graduation rates, borrower debt, financial resources, peer assessment, faculty salaries, among others.
The ranking formula for this year remained largely similar to the one utilized in 2024, which featured major methodical changes. For a more in-depth look at how these colleges were ranked, interested readers can explore further details on the publication’s website.
While the top five positions were dominated by institutions located on both the East and West coasts, Northwestern University, situated in suburban Evanston, secured the No. 6 spot, tying with Johns Hopkins University in Baltimore, Duke University in Durham, and California Institute of Technology in Pasadena. This marks a notable progression from Northwestern University’s No. 9 placement in the previous year’s rankings.
The University of Chicago, in a dead heat with Cornell University, climbed to the No. 11 spot from last year’s No. 12 ranking. Additionally, Notre Dame in South Bend, Indiana, shared the No. 18 position with Vanderbilt University in Nashville, Tennessee, and Rice University in Houston, Texas.
Two other Midwestern colleges made it to the Top 25, with the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor and Washington University in St. Louis tying for No. 21. Meanwhile, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign made a positive move up the list, advancing two spots from No. 35 in the previous year.
Moreover, the University of Wisconsin-Madison slipped four spots in the rankings, securing the No. 39 position for 2025. The report also encompassed rankings for National Liberal Arts Colleges, highlighting Carleton College in Northfield, Minnesota, which claimed the No. 8 spot.
Furthermore, the report listed colleges considered “Top Performers on Social Mobility” for both liberal arts schools and national universities, focusing on how these institutions successfully graduated economically disadvantaged students. Lake Forest College, a liberal arts institution in suburban Lake Forest, shared the top spot with Spelman College in Atlanta, Georgia on this particular list.
Overall, the most recent ranking included a diverse range of colleges and universities spread across the nation, each recognized for their distinctive strengths and contributions to higher education. Readers can access the complete report and view the extensive list of schools through the official U.S. News & World Report website.