<p>jenni,
U of I is a very good state university with a lot of very talented students on its campus. However, its finance program is not well-known nor targeted by most employers for companies located outside of the Midwest. </p>
<p>In Chicagoland and throughout Illinois, good U of I business school grads can compete effectively with students from other top universities, Midwestern and otherwise, including Northwestern, Notre Dame, Wash U, U Michigan, U Wisconsin and virtually whatever non-Midwestern college you want to compare with. However, if a job in finance in NYC/Wall Street is your goal, you will likely be at a recruiting disadvantage to those from Northwestern (perceived as having stronger students) and NYU (biggest advantage is location).</p>