Located in Hyde Park (President Obama's old neighborhood), the University of Chicago contains one of the world's great intellectual communities. The school has a relatively small undergraduate population (5,000 students), allowing smaller class sizes than most major research universities. The school emphasizes a core curriculum in which students must take a large variety of classes in the humanities, social sciences, and hard sciences, regardless of major. Although the school is excellent across the board, University of Chicago is particularly renowned for its faculties of law and economics.
University of Chicago
5801 South Ellis Ave.
Chicago, IL 60637
773-702-1234
uchicago.edu
Situated in Evanston, less than a mile from the Rogers Park neighborhood of Chicago, Northwestern is another world-class university that includes Supreme Court justices, Presidential nominees, and Nobel laureates in the ranks of its alumni. The school possesses an undergraduate body of about 8,000 students and has a somewhat more vibrant social life than the ultra-rigorous University of Chicago. Still, its academic programs are highly respected, especially its Kellogg School of Management, which is considered to be one of the top business programs in the United States.
Northwestern University
633 Clark St.
Evanston, IL 60208
847-491-3741
northwestern.edu
IIT, also known as Illinois Tech, is a science and professional school with programs in business, information technology, and architecture. It belongs to the Association of Independent Technological Universities and is one of the largest engineering schools in the world, with departments in aerospace and electrical engineering. The school has five campuses, the largest one for undergraduates located in Chicago's Bronzeville neighborhood on the South Side.
Illinois Institute of Technology
10 West 33rd St.
Chicago, IL 60616
312-567-3025
iit.edu
With more than 120 academic programs and 11,500 undergraduates, Columbia College is the largest private arts and media college in the United States. Students can pursue degrees along three major tracks, art and design, liberal arts and sciences, or media arts. The campus is located in the South Loop near the Art Institute and Chicago Symphony. Notable alums include many leading creatives and executives in the entertainment industry.
Columbia College Chicago
600 S. Michigan Ave.
Chicago, IL 60605
312-663-1600
colum.edu