Does the prestige and rank of the university for a masters degree worth considering?

I am looking into Universities for a masters degree and i am debating if i should consider the small private ones or the big and prestigious universities like Northwestern University , University of Illinois, University of Chicago and DePaul University? ( I am only considering Universities in Illinois). Should i look into their prestige or just apply to the ones that its easier to get into and those are mostly the non prestigious. Are reputable Universities degrees worth more than from smaller and unrecognizable Universities like Saint Francis and St. Xavier?