The Chicago area on the whole — where U.S. News & World Report ranks the U. of C. third among the nation's elite universities and Northwestern 12th — is among the more expensive markets for off-campus housing. With median rents above the $1,408 Zillow considers pricey, housing is likely to weigh heavily on family budgets for students attending the highest ranked schools or others such as DePaul University, Loyola University, University of Illinois at Chicago or Columbia College Chicago in the midst of heavy rental demand.