Life in Chicago
Chicago Tech Connections
Illinois Tech is home to the Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship, which offers maker spaces, mentorship programs, events, and other programs that instill an entrepreneurial spirit in all Illinois Tech students and help students transform their ideas into viable businesses. The Kaplan Institute also connects students with the Chicago tech sector, including startup entrepreneurs and other leaders who provide students with mentorship.
Explore the City by Bike
Chicago's Divvy bike-sharing program offers the city's residents an affordable, accessible, and fun transportation option. With Divvy for Everyone (D4E), qualifying students can take part with a $5 annual membership.
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Sweet Home Chicago
Reasons Why the Second City Is the Best City
#1
Best Big City
—Condé Nast Traveler (Readers' Choice Awards)
77
Neighborhoods
Top 10
Cities for Technology Careers
—CIO Magazine
Our Hometown: Chicago
“Coming from a small island in the middle of the Pacific Ocean, Chicago feels like a world of endless possibilities and opportunities. Through Illinois Tech I've gotten to visit some of the largest national laboratories, such as Argonne and Fermilab, and have reached out to other companies throughout the city.”
“Living in Chicago has been a big part of the success in my learning….Being in Chicago made internship and professional opportunities more accessible. There was no need for me to relocate for a job over the summer. Having hundreds of positions just a short train ride from campus allowed me to remain part of the Illinois Tech community as I gained experience at a world-class company.”
“I have lived here my whole life, and of the many countries (and their big cities) I have visited, this city remains my favorite one. If you leave the campus and explore the whole city (not just downtown and the North Side), you get exposed to so many different people and cultures, all wrapped up with a unique Chicago flair that you just can’t get anywhere else.”
“I grew up in a small Milwaukee suburb, and at first I had some anxieties about living in such a big city. These anxieties immediately went away when I visited campus. It’s really the best of both worlds: you get the quiet, unhurried, secluded-feeling life on campus, but you’re not 15 minutes from downtown Chicago.”
