American Islamic College was incorporated in September 1981 as a private, not-for-profit, four-year institution of higher education meant to offer especially strong programs in Islamic Studies and the Arabic Language. In November 1982, AIC received authority from the Illinois Board of Higher Education (IBHE) to operate as a postsecondary institution. The search for suitable premises led to the purchase of its present property in March 1983. The College first opened its doors to students in September 1983 under founding President Isma`il Al-Faruqi (1921-1986) and founding Vice-President for Academic Affairs, Dr. Ahmed Sakr (1933-2015). In May 1984, IBHE bestowed degree-granting authority on AIC for the B.A. in Arabic Studies and the B.A. in Islamic Studies. In February 1985, AIC became the first accredited Islamic institution of higher education in North America when it was awarded “Initial Candidacy Status” from the regional Higher Learning Commission (HLC). In June 1988, AIC held its first commencement ceremony with six students receiving B.A. degrees. Unfortunately, in March 1989, HLC withdrew AIC’s candidacy status for regional accreditation due to failure to address concerns about financial stability and governance. The following year IBHE revoked the College’s operating and degree-granting authority. Though AIC subsequently regained this status with IBHE and continued to function in minimalist fashion, it was unable to meet the HLC criteria for reapplication for candidacy status which, in turn, led IBHE to revoke our operating and degree-granting authority for a second time in 2004. Beginning in 2009, American Islamic College embarked upon a new phase of significant reorganization and the installation of a reformed governance structure and a new administration. In 2010, the campus buildings and grounds underwent extensive renovation and remodeling. It was then that AIC reemerged as a revitalized resource of the Muslim community, hosting two consecutive international conferences on Islam in America, organizing public lectures and offering a variety of non-credit and non-degree classes in subjects such as Islamic History, Islamic Art, and Arabic. In the fall of 2013, after being granted IBHE operating authority once again, the College reopened its doors to undergraduate and—for the first time—graduate students. By April 2014, AIC had received IBHE degree-granting authority for its B.A. and M.A. programs in Islamic Studies and, in December 2014, for the Master of Divinity in Islamic Studies (Islamic Chaplaincy). It is not accredited, and so, students do not have access to FAFSA and other sources of Federal and state funding. We have undergraduate and graduate students now filling the renovated classrooms and dormitory, and the College is more alive now than ever before. AIC’s history is thus still in the making, and we welcome you to be part of it.

Columbia College Chicago is an independent, non-profit liberal arts college specializing in arts and media disciplines, with more than 8,000 students pursuing degrees in more than 100 undergraduate and 15 graduate degree programs. Founded in 1890, the school is located in the South Loop district of Chicago, Illinois. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission. Columbia College Chicago is the host institution of several affiliated educational, cultural, and research organizations, including the Center for Black Music Research, the Center for Book and Paper Arts, the Center for Community Arts Partnerships, the Dance Center of Columbia College Chicago, the Museum of Contemporary Photography, and the Sherwood Community Music School. Columbia College Chicago is not affiliated with Columbia University, Columbia College Hollywood, or any other Columbia College in the United States.

Blackburn College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Carlinville, Illinois, United States which is the county seat of Macoupin County, Illinois (a part of the Metro-East region of the Greater St. Louis metropolitan area). It was established in 1837 and named for the Rev. Gideon Blackburn. Blackburn is one of only eight federally recognized work colleges in the United States, and it has the only student-managed work program, enabling students to gain leadership experience as they manage other students. All resident students are required to work, but the program is optional for commuter students. Each student that works receives a tuition discount for the hours they work in the work program. It is also the least expensive private college in Illinois.

Elmhurst College is a comprehensive four-year private liberal arts college in Elmhurst, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago, with a tradition of service-oriented learning. Elmhurst has an affiliation with the United Church of Christ.

Eureka College is a liberal arts college in Eureka, Illinois, related by covenant to the Christian Church (Disciples of Christ). It has a strong focus on the mutual development of intellect and character. Stated core values are learning, service and leadership. Eureka offers a classical liberal arts education with an array of requirements that are designed to create well-rounded, critical thinking leaders. Popular majors include education, business, history, political science, communication, and the fine and performing arts. Enrollment in 2010–11 was approximately 785 students. Dr. Jamel Santa Cruze Wright is currently serving as the 27th President of Eureka College. Eureka College was the third college in the United States to admit men and women on an equal basis. U.S. president Abraham Lincoln spoke on campus in 1856. U.S. president Ronald Reagan graduated from Eureka College in 1932 with a degree in economics and sociology, and the college has continued to be closely associated with his legacy. In 2010, Eureka College was designated as a national historic district by the National Park Service.

Illinois College is a private, liberal arts college, affiliated with the United Church of Christ and the Presbyterian Church (USA), and located in Jacksonville, Illinois. It was the second college founded in Illinois, but the first to grant a degree (in 1835). It was founded in 1829 by the Illinois Band, students from Yale University who traveled westward to found new colleges. It briefly served as the state's first medical school from 1843–1848, and became co-educational in 1903.

Knox College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college located in Galesburg, Illinois, United States. Knox is classified as a more selective institution by the Carnegie Foundation for the Advancement of Teaching and is ranked 71st among liberal arts colleges by the 2017 edition of America's Best Colleges in U.S. News & World Report. It is one of 40 schools featured in Loren Pope's influential book Colleges That Change Lives.

Lake Forest College is a four-year coeducational private liberal arts college in Lake Forest, Illinois, on Chicago's North Shore. Founded in 1857 as Lind University by Presbyterian ministers, the college has been coeducational since 1876 and an undergraduate-focused liberal arts institution since 1903. Lake Forest enrolls approximately 1,600 students representing 47 states and 81 countries. Lake Forest offers 30 undergraduate major and minor programs in the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences, and features programs of study in pre-law, pre-medicine, communication, business, finance, and computer science.The majority of students live on the college's wooded 107-acre campus, which is located a half-mile from the Lake Michigan shore. Lake Forest is affiliated with the Associated Colleges of the Midwest. The college has 19 varsity teams, which compete in the NCAA Division III Midwest Conference.