Nicknamed ‘The Windy City’ by the press because of long-winded politicians who wouldn’t stop hyperbolizing about the 1893 World’s Fair, Chicago, it seems, still has a lot to boast about.
Over 33 million people visit Chicago every year, and are welcomed by 70 museums, 200 theaters, 6,500 restaurants and some 200 annual parades spread out across the 228 square mile city. As well as being home to the world’s largest free public zoo and three of the world’s tallest buildings, Chicago is known for its cultural and historical significance, and in particular for its role in the emergence of the Blues music scene as well as African-American urban culture.
The Ferris wheel, Bi-focal contact lenses, Twinkies and softball were all invented here, and these are just a few examples of Chicago as a hub of innovation. Also described as a ‘city in a garden’, Chicago’s landscape is one of the greenest cities in the world and offers acres of botanical gardens and parks to explore.
The diversity of life and surroundings in Chicago make its reputation as a student city well known. But for those of you who don’t know much about the city’s higher education landscape, here’s our guide to the top universities in Chicago.
University of Chicago
The highest ranked among universities in Chicago, the University of Chicago is currently 9th in the world in the QS World University Rankings®. This private research university is located in the Hyde Park neighborhood, a lush expanse of green intermeshed with urban culture along the southwest shore of Lake Michigan. The campus blends traditional English Gothic architecture with state-of-the-art modern builds, offering numerous playing fields and 215 acres of botanical gardens, as well as many community and student events throughout the year. There are 5,369 undergraduates and 9,850 graduates and professionals enrolled at the school, which also claims connections with 89 Nobel Prize winners.
There are 12 branches of Northwestern University split across three campuses; two in Illinois and one in Qatar. The main campus is located in Evanston, a town just north of Chicago, and the university also has a campus in downtown Chicago, which is home to the Feinberg School of Medicine, the School of Continuing Studies, the School of Law and Kellogg Business School. Northwestern’s 16,000 full-time students enrolled in total are fairly equally split between those in undergraduate and graduate studies. The institution is ranked 29th in the world in the latest QS World University Rankings.
With an undergraduate population of 2,300 and a total enrollment of just over 7,400, the Illinois Institute of Technology is one of the smallest top universities in Chicago. The main campus is situated across 120 acres in the historic Bronzeville neighborhood in the south the city, one of the nation’s most important landmarks in African-American urban culture and credited as the birthplace of Black History Month. The area, at its cultural peak in the 1920s-1950s, is today popular with young urban professionals. Ranked 441-450 in the world (but in the top 200 for civil, structural and mechanical engineering), the university is a private research center dedicated to furthering knowledge in the science and technology sectors.
Get closer to your dream programme
Your consent preferences have been set.
Time to start exploring.
Your account has been removed.
You can still browse the site or sign up again once you have parental consent.
Get closer to your dream programme