¶¶ÒõMAX

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Accolades

 

¶¶ÒõMAX (SXU) has been awarded many honors over its 179-year history. Continually striving for excellence, SXU takes pride in its accomplishments and recognitions. Below are the most recent and notable accolades the University has received.

Check out our SXU At a Glance (PDF) for quick facts and rankings.

Date of uploaded document: September 30, 2025.

View All Accolades

RANKINGS

  • Nationwide 
    No. 2
    Best Online Graduate Nursing Program

    U.S. News & World Report (2025)

  • In Illinois
    No. 2 
    Best Value
    U.S. News & World Report (2026)
  • In Illinois
    No. 5 
    Undergraduate Nursing Program
    U.S. News & World Report (2026)

     

  • A
    TOP
    Safest College Campus in Illinois


    (2025)

 

 

Academic Awards and Grants

U.S. News & World Report

  • Top Performer on Social Mobility
  • Among the Most Ethnically Diverse College Campuses in the Midwest 
  • Among the Most Economically Diverse College Campuses in the Midwest
  • A Regional Best Value School 
  • A Best College for Veterans
  • No. 2 Best Online Graduate Nursing Program Nationwide
  • No. 5 Best Undergraduate Nursing Program in Illinois

Grants and Alliances

Colleges of Distinction

  • for providing a transformative education
  • Affordable 
  • Catholic
  • Diversity, Equity and Inclusion
  • Career Development 
  • Military Support
  • Nursing
  • Education
  • Business

 

Accolades and Accreditation

 

AACSB Accredited Logo
CCNE Logo
ISBE Approved Logo
CAA Logo

 

 
College of Distinction Military Support 5 Years badge
Military Friendly Logo
 

 

College of Distinction 10 Years badge
College of Distinction Catholic 10 Years badge
College of Distinction Equity and Inclusion 5 Years badge
College of Distinction Affordable badge

 

College of Distinction Career Development 5 Years badge
College of Distinction Business 5 Years badge
College of Distinction Education 5 Years badge
College of Distinction Nursing 5 Years badge

Past recognition 

 

October 2018: ranks ¶¶ÒõMAX among the top 100 universities in the nation with the greatest rise in student applications.

October 12, 2017: ¶¶ÒõMAX (SXU) takes pride in education. Thus, it is fitting that a list for the "" named SXU's program in the ratings, coming in at number six. Education is one of the original fields of study for the university, dating back to 1846 when it was founded by the Sisters of Mercy. Teaching degrees are among the most popular at SXU, both in undergraduate and postgraduate levels.

March 2022: WXAV won their first Golden Microphone Award at the Intercollegiate Broadcasting System's 2022 IBS Media Awards. ¶¶ÒõMAX communication student Thressa Nelson won first place for Best Underwriting Spot for WXAV program "Bookies New and Used Books."

September 30, 2016: ¶¶ÒõMAX's student-run radio station WXAV 88.3FM will celebrate its 25th anniversary on the broadcast airwaves. WXAV broadcasts 24 hours a day, seven days a week, 365 days a year. It also reaches a worldwide audience by streaming LIVE at .

Over the years, WXAV has: 

  • Won over a dozen Illinois Broadcasting Associations (IBA) Student Silverdome Awards, including eight first-place awards;
  • Took second place twice (2003 and 2013) in the Professional IBA Silverdome Awards in Public Affairs programming, beating out WGN-AM and 101.9-FM The Mix;
  • In 2010, WXAV was named by Paste Magazine as one of the "Best College Radio Stations in the U.S."
  • Students have arranged and interviewed artists such as: Sean Lennon, Moby, Coldplay, Ralph Nadar, Ziggy Marley, Dane Cook, the Dropkick Murphys, Local H and the Yeah Yeah Yeahs.

March 3, 2016: ¶¶ÒõMAX's (SXU) Communication Sciences and Disorders students competed and won the seventh annual Illinois Speech-Language-Hearing Association's (ISHA) College Bowl on Friday, Feb. 12. This is the second year SXU has won this competition!

The SXU team consisted of second year graduate students in the Master of Science Speech-Language Pathology program. Students Elyse Gnika, Kelsey Kaelin, Kaila Koch and Amanda Wilbur demonstrated their mastery of language and language disorders, neurological disorders, fluency disorders, genetic syndromes, hearing, multicultural issue and the sound system.

December 8, 2015: ¶¶ÒõMAX was recently ranked No. 9 on Great Value Colleges' "Top 10 Colleges for an Online Degree in Chicago" list. Chicago institutions are known throughout the world as research centers and leaders among the world of academia.

Institutions included within this list are accredited with governing bodies and agencies, such as the Princeton Review and U.S. News & World Report. This network of colleges and universities caters to the needs of its student population, offering online degree options that allow students to attend school while working full time.

May 2015: ¶¶ÒõMAX is designated a (HSI). HSI's are defined as colleges and universities in which the Hispanic enrollment is at least 25 percent of their total enrollment.

January 17, 2018: ¶¶ÒõMAX ranked fourth in Illinois among colleges and universities that are considered the best investments for underserved students, according to a new study, "," recently released by the Illinois Education Research Council (IERC).

October 2018: ¶¶ÒõMAX (SXU) commits to the  as one of 25 colleges and universities across the state of Illinois dedicated to ending institutional inequities in college graduation rates by 2025 with a focus on low-income and first-generation students and students of color. The 29 colleges and universities, representing two-year and four-year public and private institutions, are the inaugural participants in the partnership's newly launched Illinois Equity in Attainment Initiative (ILEA).