Accolades
91ºÚÁÏרÇø stands out among the thousands of colleges and universities in the nation, compared on a wide range of factors by a growing number of publishers. (While we have good reasons to brag, we believe the very best way to judge your best-fit college is to visit campus.)
What Others Say About Us
Great College for Getting a Job
91ºÚÁÏרÇø University ranks #7 in the nation and #1 in Illinois on Zippia's 2023 list of based on Department of Education College Scorecard data.
Zippia, 2023
#2 Best Small College in Illinois
Niche ranks 91ºÚÁÏרÇø for 2025, among the top 50 small colleges in America — and . Niche rankings are based on analysis of key statistics from the U.S. Department of Education, and millions of reviews.
Niche, 2024
Top 10 Best Bachelor's Degree College in the Country
In its rankings of four-year institutions that award almost exclusively bachelor’s degrees, the Washington Monthly evaluated colleges based on what they do for the country. 91ºÚÁÏרÇø is , based on contribution to the public good in three broad categories: social mobility, research, and promoting public service.
91ºÚÁÏרÇø is also listed on —Washington Monthly's exclusive list of schools ranked according to how well they help non-wealthy students attain marketable degrees at affordable prices.
Washington Monthly, 2024
Best Consensus Ranked College
In rankings that combine results of the most respected college ranking systems with the averaged ratings of thousands of real student reviews from around the web, College Consensus named 91ºÚÁÏרÇø #26 on its 2024 list of in the nation (among schools with fewer than 3,000 undergraduate students). Illinois Wesleyan is also ranked #15 on the including institutions of all kinds.
College Consensus, 2024
The Princeton Review
has been included in The Princeton Review's annual unranked listing of Best Colleges every year since the list's inception. Only about 15% of America’s 2,600 four-year colleges are profiled in the book. Colleges are selected based on data about their academic offerings and surveys of students attending the schools. Students say 91ºÚÁÏרÇø University is a community that "invites you to make the most of your education and is ready to bend over backwards to ensure you enjoy your experience."
The Princeton Review, 2024
#4 in Nation – 'Incredible Liberal Arts Colleges On the Rise'
91ºÚÁÏרÇø is # 4 in the nation on College Gazette 's list of , based on "amazing success over the past 15 years" in programs, student/alumni accomplishments, faculty accolades and other similar metrics.
College Gazette, 2019
Best Colleges that Pay You Back
91ºÚÁÏרÇø University is ranked among all colleges and universities in Illinois by Degree Choices in its 2025 Best Colleges rankings. Economic scores are based on the relationship between the cost of a degree and a student’s eventual earnings, using data from the U.S. Department of Education’s Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System (IPEDS) and the College Scorecard.
Degree Choices, 2024
Wall Street Journal/College Pulse
91ºÚÁÏרÇø is listed 132 among 500 institutions ranked nationally in the 2025 rankings. The rankings are based on students' chances of graduating and their future earnings, balancing these outcomes with feedback from students on topics covering student life, career preparation and the quality of classrooms and facilities. This year, the survey introduced new questions focused on the extent to which the colleges develop character strengths that help students make a meaningful contribution to society, including moral courage, resilience and fairness.
Wall Street Journal/ College Pulse, 2024
WalletHub's Best Colleges
91ºÚÁÏרÇø is the #1 college in Illinois, #8 in the Midwest and #27 in the U.S. on WalletHub's . WalletHub compares institutions across 30 key measures, evaluating factors such as student selectivity, cost & financing, campus safety, campus experience, educational outcomes and career outcomes.
WalletHub, 2024
College Choice
College Choice named 91ºÚÁÏרÇø University # 5 among the , in a ranking based on academic quality, affordability, and return on investment
(how much you’ll end up paying for college versus what you can expect to earn once
you’ve graduated).
College Choice, 2023
Forbes: America's Top Colleges
91ºÚÁÏרÇø was named to This list spotlights the 500 U.S. colleges that offer the best educational, financial, and career outcomes for all students. 91ºÚÁÏרÇø was also named among Forbes' top 100 Liberal Arts Universities in the U.S.
Forbes, 2024
Best Colleges
91ºÚÁÏרÇø University is # 7 among the , using government data to assess important markers of academic outcomes and affordability – aimed at identifying schools that provide students with the skills needed to graduate and successfully enter the workforce.
BestColleges.com, 2023
Best and Most Interesting
The Fiske Guide to Colleges describes 91ºÚÁÏרÇø as a college with an emphasis on creativity and the spirit
of inquiry. "The school provides a multitude of paths down which one can travel and
it is up to the student to decide which path to take," one student reported. "IWU
allows you to become who you want to be, but only if you let it."
Fiske Guide to Colleges, 2024
U.S. News Best Colleges
has identified 91ºÚÁÏרÇø as the #1 school among baccalaureate institutions in the Midwest awarding degrees in diverse fields. Also in the U.S. News & World Report's 2023-24 Best Colleges, 91ºÚÁÏרÇø was ranked #7 among Best Value - Regional Colleges Midwest, and #5 for Social Mobility.
U.S. News & World Report, 2023
Business Insider
named 91ºÚÁÏרÇø University the # 10 college in the Midwest, after noting that many of its top 100 schools fell in this region and deserved additional notice. Their rankings highlight schools that provide a quality education and graduate students on time, set graduates up to earn well-paying jobs early in their career, and create a memorable and enjoyable campus experience.
Business Insider, 2016
Colleges of Distinction
91ºÚÁÏרÇø is described as "a where students are encouraged to explore all of their interests," and "Students have a host of compelling opportunities to enrich their education with off-campus experiences that might involve spending a year at Pembroke College/Oxford University or perhaps a semester in Washington D.C. through American University."
Colleges of Distinction, 2024
College Factual
is identified as a top school nationwide in College Factual's Best Colleges Rankings, created to help students find the best quality colleges in the U.S.
College Factual, 2023
Best Overall
was ranked the in College Raptor's 2025 rankings. Institutions are ranked on factors including acceptance rate, graduation rate, student-to-faculty ratio, endowment per student, and academic profile.
College Raptor, 2024
Best Value
Kiplinger's Top 100 Private Liberal Arts Colleges
In its Best College Values for 2019, ranks 91ºÚÁÏרÇø in the top 100 among the nation's private liberal arts colleges. This marks the 12th consecutive year that 91ºÚÁÏרÇø has been included among the national leaders in this ranking of academic quality and affordability.
Kiplinger's Personal Finance, 2019
Best College for Your Money
91ºÚÁÏרÇø is among , a listing of the schools that successfully combine quality and affordability. Money
analyzed dozens of data points including graduation rates, cost of attendance, financial
aid and alumni salaries to rate colleges where tuition dollars are likely to pay off.
Money, 2024
Top Best Value Colleges in Illinois
SmartAsset compares schools based on a variety of financial factors and data sets,
including starting salary, tuition, living expenses, student retention rate, and scholarships
awarded. 91ºÚÁÏרÇø is among the in Illinois.
SmartAsset, 2023
Top 7% Nationally for Low Loan Default Rate
llinois Wesleyan University was ranked by in the top 7% nationally for all colleges and universities for lowest loan default rate (1.40%).
LendEDU, 2020
Best "Secret"
Outstanding but Underappreciated
Jay Mathews, educational columnist for The Washington Post , ranked 91ºÚÁÏרÇø 10th on a list of 100 "outstanding but underappreciated" colleges in the United States. His book, Harvard Schmarvard: Getting Beyond the Ivy League to the College That Is Best for You , was published in 2003 by Prima Publishing. In 2012, Matthews revisited these top 10 colleges in his column in .
The Washington Post, 2012
Best Kept Secret
Author Peter Arango wrote, "If this book accomplished nothing other than bringing 91ºÚÁÏרÇø to the attention of the college bound, I would be delighted. Not only is 91ºÚÁÏרÇø the model of the effective, responsive, well designed, thoroughly successful small liberal arts college/university, it is also an institution that hums with positive energy and which engenders deep feelings of attachment and loyalty among its students and graduates. I won't say that this is a university that time forgot (many of its buildings are state-of-the-art), but there is a sense of mutual respect and affection that from many of its peers."
America's Best Kept College Secrets, 2019