[Steely Dan]

USNWR 2026 university rankings came out.

As always, take these with a large grain of salt. Individual ordering isn't as relevant here as the overall gist.

Here's how Chicago's major universities stack up against the best of the Midwest's "National Universities".


#6. University of Chicago - chicago
#7. Northwestern University - evanston
#20. University of Michigan - ann arbor
#20. University of Notre Dame - south bend
#20. Washington University - st. louis

#36. University of Illinois - champaign
#36. University of Wisconsin - madison
#41. Ohio State University - columbus
#46. Purdue University - west lafayette
#51. Case Western Reserve University - cleveland

#59. University of Minnesota - minneapolis
#64. Michigan State University - east lansing
#73. Indiana University - bloomington
#84. University of Illinois Chicago - chicago
#88. Marquette University - milwaukee

#102. University of Iowa - iowa city
#102. St. Louis University - st. louis
#102. University of Missouri - columbia
#117. Creighton University - omaha
#117. Illinois Institute of Technology - chicago

#117. Iowa State University - ames
#132. Loyola University Chicago - chicago
#143. University of Dayton - dayton
#143. University of Kansas - lawrence
#143. Miami University - oxford

#158. University of Cincinnati - cincinnati
#158. Kansas State University - manhattan
#158. Michigan Technological University - houghton
#158. University of Nebraska - lincoln
#158. University of St. Thomas - st. paul

#169. Depaul University - chicago
#179. Wayne State University - detroit
#183. University of Detroit - detroit
#183. Drake University - des moines
#183. Bradley University - peoria

#192. Indiana University Indianapolis - indianapolis
#192. Missouri University of Science and Technology - rolla
#198. Ohio University - athens
#198. Valparaiso University - valparaiso
#208. Xavier University - cincinnati