Medical Schools in Illinois: A Comprehensive Guide

Illinois, with its range of both natural beauty and major cities, including Chicago, can be an excellent state for attending medical school. At the northeast end of the state, Chicago is one of the largest and most diverse cities in the country. To the south, beyond St. Louis, Shawnee National Forest is a destination for nature lovers from all over the country. The state has a lot to love, and it can be a wonderful place to live and study. Illinois is also home to several esteemed medical schools — including Northwestern University, University of Chicago, and University of Illinois. 

This post is all about medical schools in Illinois.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I’ll receive a commission if you purchase through my link, at no extra cost to you. Full disclosure here.

Important Things To Know About Medical Schools in Illinois

List of Medical Schools in Illinois

NOTE: There has been a big change in the U.S. News Medical School Ranking which is why you will now see a ranking between Tier 1-4 instead of the previous numerical ranking e.g. #37. You’ll find the highest performing schools in Tier 1. Medical schools that didn’t provide the sufficient data are listed as “unranked”.

How is life in Illinois?

Illinois is a beautiful state to live in. It covers a very large area, and offers both incredible cityscapes and vast natural beauty. Illinois is home to expansive ranges of both forests and plains, depending on where you live. 

To the northeast, the shores of Lake Michigan are a popular destination for visitors and Illinois residents alike. In the southern edge of the state, Shawnee National Forest offers an unrivaled glimpse at the raw beauty of everything from vast forestland to rolling hills, winding rivers, and sandstone cliffs. With wildlife including bald eagles, deer, and even armadillo, the park is home to a unique ecosystem. 

Chicago, the country’s third-largest city, on the east side of the state, offers a rich mix of historical and cultural facets that attract a wide range of people — including some of the most well-known skyscrapers and architecture in the country. 

The summers can be mild in Illinois, and are balanced out by very cold winters. So, residents should be prepared to contend with cold weather events, with plenty of rain. For many, however, that’s no deterrent — with so much to offer, the state is a popular destination for both living and visiting. 

“I would recommend day trips to Chicago are a lot of fun, there’s a lot of hiking trails and breweries that are cool to hang out at. Personally, I hate that Carle Illinois is in a small college town and that it’s in the midwest. But I love that the rent is cheaper than I used to pay in Florida.”

Chris – Carle Illinois College of Medicine

@chrisgrannie on Instagram

How much Illinois student life could cost

Despite there being such a strong pull to the state, Illinois offers a reasonable cost of living when compared to the national average. It’s neither the cheapest nor the most expensive place to live. It lies modestly below the national average cost of living, and for medical schools, it isn’t particularly costly. 

Of course, which city you live in will impact your living costs, as well. For example, those living in Springfield, IL, will experience typically lower living costs than those living in Chicago. For some medical students, the academic as well as cultural opportunities in the Chicago metropolitan area will be well worth the additional cost.

Fun Facts about Illinois

• The Harold Washington Library, in Chicago, is the country’s largest public library.
• The historical Route 66 actually begins in Chicago from where it goes all the way to Santa Monica, California. 
• Did you know that the first McDonald’s restaurant was built in Illinois? 
• Good news for any pumpkin pie fans – Illinois is the country’s de-facto pumpkin capital producing more, by far, than any other state. 

Allopathic (MD) Medical Schools:

There are eight allopathic medical schools in Illinois, so plenty of options to choose from if you want to make Illinois your new home during medical school. 

University of Illinois College of Medicine

• Location: Chicago, IL
• US News Ranking: Tier 2 for Primary Care and Tier 2 for Research 
• Average GPA: 3.70
• Average MCAT score: 511
• Percentage of in-state students in first-year class: 56%
• Acceptance Rate: 3.6%
• Tuition: $47,736 (resident) / $81,636 (non-resident)
• Public

Just south of highway 290, and Rush Medical College, University of Illinois College of Medicine is in the heart of Chicago. It’s highly ranked in both research and primary care, so students who aspire to attend can focus on both clinical patient contact and research opportunities as extracurriculars. 

At UI, you would be focusing on a more traditional curriculum with your first two years of medical school learning basic science, moving on to more hands-on clinical training in your third and fourth year.  
Also, of note: University of Illinois College of Medicine relies on a pass/fail grading system. For some students, this might take some of the pressure off, allowing them to focus on academics rather than competition with fellow students. 

Nonetheless, attendance is critical, and students are responsible for reporting absences ahead of time. 

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine

• Location: Chicago 
• US News Ranking: Tier 1 for Research, and tier 4 for Primary Care
• Median GPA: 3.92
• Median MCAT score: 520
• Acceptance Rate: 1.85% 
• Tuition: $71,946
• Private

Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is one of the fairly competitive medical schools in Illinois. With an acceptance rate of 1.85%, candidates can expect fierce competition. While Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine is ranked highly for both research and primary care, they’re known for their emphasis on research. 

This medical school fosters an inclusive, bias-free learning environment which shows in 23% of their class consisting of underrepresented students as well as 16% LGBTQ+ students. 

Some factors worth noting include that some lectures may be mandatory to attend. These will be indicated in student module schedules, however, and many classes might offer video recordings of lectures. For first and second year students, a pass/fail grading system is used, but for third and fourth year students, GPA will be a serious consideration. 

Acceptance Tips

Tips to improve your chances of acceptance: 

1. Aspiring candidates might focus on potential research opportunities to bolster their application. 
2. With extremely competitive academics, it can also be important to focus heavily on your MCAT score and GPA. 
3. Still, with a holistic review process, extracurriculars and studies outside of research are important to show that you are a well-rounded applicant beyond your grades. 

With their highly competitive acceptance rate, you want to stand out from the crowd and improve all possible factors in your control. Sign up for my Free Premed Workshop below to learn the key strategies!

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine 

• Location: Maywood, IL (Near Chicago proper, to the West)
• US News Ranking:  #65 in Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas, unranked in either Research or Primary care
• Average GPA: 3.7
• Average MCAT score: 511
• Percentage of women in first class: 67%
• Acceptance Rate: 1.42%
• Tuition: $62,530
• Private 

Loyola University Chicago Stritch School of Medicine is founded on traditional Jesuit, Catholic values, with a focus on caring for the person as a whole. Based on this, the curriculum makes sure to also include guidance on handling difficult situations in their medical career such as death of patients, end-of-life care or physical burnout.

If attending Stritch School of Medicine, you can already gain early clinical experience in your second year through physician- and peer-mentoring programs. They use a pass/fail grading system which encourages a less competitive learning environment among your peers. 

Another factor to consider: Like most medical schools, Stritch uses a rolling admissions process so make sure to submit your application ideally as soon as the doors open. 

Acceptance Tips

Here is how you can stand out as an applicant to Stritch School of Medicine:
1. Showcase your values, interests and personality and how it aligns with their Jesuit mission to care for the person as a whole. This can also involve meaningful volunteering and community service. 

2. Use your secondary essays to bring across your leadership skills and what makes you a great future physician.

3. With a fierce acceptance rate of only 1.42% you want to give them the whole package, which also includes a competitive academic record. 

Rush Medical College of Rush University

• Location: Chicago, IL
• US News Ranking: Tier 3 in Research and in Tier 3 in Primary Care
• Average GPA: 3.62
• Average MCAT score: 509
• Percentage of in-state students in first-year class: 14.39% (interviews)
• Acceptance Rate: 1.66%
• Tuition: $57,778 
• Private

Rush University Medical School, located in Chicago is a private university and in fact Chicago’s oldest medical school — founded in 1837. As such, it has a long history of being regarded as an excellent institution. 

They put a strong focus on a supportive, student-centered learning environment, giving plenty of guidance to help them succeed on their medical path. This might also have played a part in their astonishing 100% residency placements for the class of 2022. 

If you want to explore more research opportunities during your time in medical school, Rush University offers plenty of options with more than 1,600 research projects including hundreds of clinical trials. 

Also worth noting, Rush relies on a pass/fail grading system — meaning, that for students who prefer to focus on developing skills and knowledge rather than GPA, this might be a great choice. Apart from that, attendance can be quite important. Failure to excuse absences can result in intervention, and potentially can affect your grades. 

A few factors that can greatly improve your chances: 

1. Service and volunteering is one of their main values especially when it comes to patients with lack of or limited insurance. Showcase your commitment to helping communities in need with plenty of meaningful volunteering hours. 
2. Aim for strong letters of recommendation which will greatly increase your chances. 
3. With a very competitive acceptance rate, you want to stand out from the crowd with (ideally) higher than average MCAT score and GPA. 

Chicago Medical School at Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science

• Location: North Chicago, IL
• US News Ranking: Unranked in either Research or Primary Care, but #73 in Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care
• Average GPA: 3.66
• Average MCAT score: 512
• Percentage of in-state students in first-year class: 55.9%
• Acceptance Rate: 2.03%
• Tuition: $69,755 
• Private 

While some medical schools might focus heavily in certain fields, Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science focuses heavily on the concept of interprofessionalism. Early on, their medical students learn how to collaborate between specialties and medical professions to achieve the best possible results. 

With only around 200 people per class, you can expect a tight-knit community of students and an easier learning environment for the individual. It’s also worth noting that Rosalind Franklin University of Medicine and Science uses a pass/fail grading system for M1 and M2 students. 

Acceptance Tips

How to increase your chances of acceptance at this medical school: 

• Their interprofessionalism approach favors a diverse array of perspectives from across disciplines. So, students who are preparing to apply might focus on finding ways to demonstrate their versatility in extracurriculars, and their strengths as a team player as well as leadership skills.   
• As most medical schools, they want to see prior experience in the healthcare setting, through volunteer work or paid positions. Nevertheless, volunteering should always be a part of your resume to align with their service-oriented values. 
• Make sure to achieve a strong MCAT score in order to match (or at least come close) to their average score of 512 for accepted students.

Southern Illinois University School of Medicine 

• Location: Springfield, IL, and Carbondale, IL
• US News Ranking: Unranked in either Primary Care or Research, but #81 in Most Diverse Medical Schools
• Average GPA: 3.86
• Average MCAT score: 507
• Percentage of in-state students in first-year class: 100%
• Acceptance Rate: 7.11%
• Tuition: $36,540
• Private or Public: Public 

Southern Illinois University’s School of Medicine has campuses in both Springfield and Carbondale, as well as a few clinics in Decatur. It’s important to note that the regular MD program only accepts legal Illinois residents, with particular preference to Southern Illinois residents and those from rural, inner-city areas. Applicants who aren’t legal residents of Illinois, however, can still apply for the combined medicine and law program. 

The medical students at SIU attend their first year at the Carbondale campus while they spend the other three years in the Medical Center in Springfield. As they are following a more traditional curriculum, clinical rotations don’t start before the third year, with a required Medical Humanities clerkship in their last year of medical school. 

With only 80 accepted applicants in 2023, you can expect smaller class sizes and a more personal learning experience. 

Acceptance Tips

Ways to stand out as an applicant: 

• Make sure to meet their academic requirements with a high GPA and competitive MCAT score, in order to boost your chances of acceptance. 
• SIU values involvement in extracurriculars so showcase your experience in meaningful activities and how this ties into your journey towards medicine. 
• Volunteering takes a great focus in their admissions process, so successful applicants want to demonstrate their commitment to serving others and giving back to the community.

Carle Illinois College of Medicine

• Location: Urbana, IL
• US News Ranking: Unranked in both Research and Primary Care
• Average GPA: 3.83
• Average MCAT score: 515
• Percentage of in-state students in first-year class: 14..6%
• Acceptance Rate: 2.25%
• Tuition: no fixed costs, depending on several factors (calculator)
• Public

Carle Illinois College of Medicine is a public medical school, located in Urbana, which is between Indianapolis and Springfeild. They are the first engineer-based college which marks a new concept in healthcare education. Through this, their curriculum is built on innovation, with a focus on human factors, design thinking, medical technologies, and entrepreneurship. Their goal is to develop future physicians that can successfully navigate, and contribute to, the high-technological and digital developments in healthcare in this time and age.

An astonishing 85% of students are out-of-state making Carle Illinois a medical school that welcomes students from a variety of states with open arms. So no need to worry about residency bias if you are not from Illinois, but at the same time, Illinois residents might not have an increased chance of acceptance. 

As to your living expenses as a student at Carle Illinois, it may be important to have a car or reliable source of transportation, as some clinical sites are up to 30 miles from school. 

Acceptance Tips

Tips to boost your chances of acceptance: 

• Instead of a list with required classes, they check their applicants for groups of competencies. So make sure to fulfill all their requirements before you apply. 
• Over 80% of accepted students have a background in engineering, advanced mathematics, computer science, and or similar scientific areas. Use your application to demonstrate how you fit into their class profile with your own experiences and prior education. 
• With innovation as their cornerstone, impress them with meaningful research experience in an area that you are curious and passionate about. 

“I chose Carle Illinois because of the small class size, it was an engineering medical school, it was collaborative, and had the best match rates out of the schools I got into. I feel like because it’s newer they are still trying to get their stuff together which makes the curriculum pretty chaotic. But I love that I start preceptors my second week and I love that I have a small class and it’s a good combo of didactic and problem based learning!

Inside tips – I recommend the quiet study spots in our medical building and taking part in the athletic events that go on here. It’s a very lawn-y campus and the weather is pretty nice so I’d recommend studying outside. The engineering library is also very beautiful with a coffee shop inside.”

Chris – Carle Illinois College of Medicine

@chrisgrannie on Instagram

University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine 

• Location: Chicago, IL
• US News Ranking: Unranked in both Primary Care and Research, but #28 in Most Diverse Medical Schools
• Median GPA: 3.91
• Median MCAT score: 521
• Percentage of in-state students in first-year class: 17.4%
• Acceptance Rate: 3.7%
• Tuition: $61,212
• Private

Pritzker School of Medicine is a prestigious medical schools, ranked at #16 of all medical schools in the US by College Consensus. As one of very few medical schools, it is conveniently located right on the main campus of the university giving students a greater opportunity to socialize and get involved in the student community. 

With its high focus on research, Pritzker offers plenty of cutting-edge programs to gain more in-depth research experiences, including a dedicated summer research program for first-year students. On top, this medical school hosts 6 student-run free clinics, in which an astonishing 90% of their student pursue volunteering positions as a meaningful and educational extracurricular activity.

On top of that, Pritzker follows a strong mission towards diversity which clearly shows in their class profile with 40% of the students coming from underrepresented ethnic or racial backgrounds. There is also no disadvantage for applying out-of-state students and they are just as welcome here as Illinois residents! 

Acceptance Tips

How can you increase your chances of getting accepted at Pritzker School of Medicine: 

• Pritzker is a highly competitive school which asks for great academic accomplishments in order to get a chance at acceptance. So, give it your best in premed classes to reach a high GPA and aim for a very strong MCAT score. 
• With 100% of their students engaging in some type of research project, you want to have meaningful research experience before you apply to Pritzker – so be able to align with their expectations and academic values. 
• Show them through your secondary essays how you might be adding to their student diversity, enriching the school with your unique experiences. 

Osteopathic (DO) Medical Schools

There is just one osteopathic medical school in Illinois, which we will dive into now.

Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine 

• Location: Downers Grove, IL
• US News Ranking: Unranked in both Research and Primary Care, but ranked #79 in Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas
• Median GPA: 3.69
• Median MCAT score: 509
• Percentage of in-state students in first-year class: 42%
• Tuition: $83,153
• Private or Public: Private 

Midwestern University Chicago College of Osteopathic Medicine is a private medical school located in Downers Grove — part of a larger system that also includes campuses in Arizona. Downers Grove itself is a village located in Dupage County just west of Chicago proper. 

Midwestern combines personalized, one-on-one attention for students with state-of-the-art simulation center and a wide range of research opportunities. They put a strong emphasis on developing future physicians that focus on patient-centered care, including excellent communication skills and forming supportive relationships with their patients. 

Beyond that, this medical school near Chicago is ranked #55 in Most Graduates Practicing in Medically Underserved Areas, #26 in Most Graduates Practicing in Primary Care Fields, and  #17 in Most Graduates Practicing in Rural Areas. 

Acceptance Tips

What to keep in mind when applying to Midwestern University Chicago: 

• Showcase in your personal statement and secondary essays how you see patients as a whole and show compassion towards them during your clinical experiences. 
• Highlight your strong communication and teamwork skills. 
• Demonstrate your interest and commitment to osteopathic medicine and why it makes you a great fit for Midwestern. 

Are Medical Schools in Illinois Right for You?

There are a lot of medical schools in Illinois! There’s also a ton of great scenery, some incredible cities, and a wealth of opportunities for career advancement once students graduate. Illinois is home to some of the most elite medical schools in the country, like Northwestern Feinberg and Pritzker School of Medicine.  

Of course, medical school is a long journey. That’s why it’s also worth considering the broader idea of living in Illinois. Despite cold winters, the state is home to some incredible scenery with a range of rivers, forests, and the proximity to the great lakes. It’s also home to major cities, like Chicago, where medical students can tap into a diverse array of perspectives and experiences. 

Ultimately, where you attend medical school is a very personal choice. But whether you’re looking for a top-tier research institution, or somewhere you can make a difference in primary care — there’s probably a good school in Illinois for you.

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