University of Illinois at Springfield Springfield, IL

The University of Illinois Springfield is a small, relatively young institution on the southeast corner of the state’s capital city. Originally established as an upper-division and graduate university, Illinois Springfield has been operating as a four-year institution since 2006. The campus sits in the suburbs on the shores of Lake Springfield. The area surrounding the university is largely residential—most of Springfield’s shopping, dining, and nightlife options can be found a few minutes up the road in the Downtown district around the Old State Capitol. A few nearby favorites like Crows Mill Pub and Lake Pointe Grill serve as convenient hangouts for the college crowd, and Lake Park is a beautiful scenic green space right across the Lindsay Bridge from campus. The bulk of the nearby apartments, condos, and houses are clustered around the north end of campus, but several affordable rentals can be found within walking distance on the west side as well. When you want to get out of town, St. Louis is only about 90 miles away and both Chicago and Indianapolis are within weekend trip distance.