What separated UIUC accepted vs. rejected applicants this cycle? Above all, the major they applied for. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits about 42% of applicants by its College Scorecard rate, but UIUC admits students into a specific college and major, and its most popular technical majors run far below that.
We compared 97 UIUC applicants from self-reported 2026 r/collegeresults posts: 50 admitted, 35 rejected and 12 waitlisted. Nearly all were from outside Illinois. This is part of a larger comparison of accepted vs. rejected applicants at top colleges, which explains how the data was collected. (UIUC's official rate is well above the 15% cutoff used for that article's pooled numbers, so its decisions aren't in the pooled figures there.)
People who post results skew strong: about half this sample was admitted. Compare the two groups with each other, and treat each pattern as a hint, not a rule.
Major choice: where most UIUC rejections landed
40 of the 47 rejected or waitlisted applicants had applied for computer science or engineering. Among the 50 admits, 29 had. By the majors applicants listed (some listed more than one):
- Computer science: 16 admitted, 20 not.
- Engineering: 17 admitted, 23 not.
- Math or physical sciences: 17 admitted, 7 not.
- Social sciences, humanities and the arts: 18 admitted, 6 not.
That fits UIUC's own published numbers. Its admissions office puts the Computer Science admit rate at 7.4% and the Grainger College of Engineering at 21.2%, far below the campus-wide rate. We break those figures down in the UIUC computer science acceptance rate. In practice, a UIUC "rejection" for a strong CS or engineering applicant often reflects a crowded major, not a weak profile. We compare CS applicants with everyone else at 36 schools in is computer science harder to get into?.
UIUC admitted student GPA and SAT
| Admitted | Rejected or waitlisted | |
|---|---|---|
| Median unweighted GPA | 3.98 (38 stated) | 3.95 (39 stated) |
| Median weighted GPA | 4.55 (33 stated) | 4.51 (32 stated) |
| Median SAT (scores sent) | 1540 (37 people) | 1530 (33 people) |
| Median ACT (scores sent) | 35 (12 people) | 35 (13 people) |
| Median AP/IB courses | 11.5 | 10 |
| National-level award | 74% | 57% |
Admits were a little ahead on GPA, SAT and course count, but the gaps were small. 88 of the 97 sent test scores. The bigger differences were in awards and activities.
Research and competition results stood out
- Research: 66% of admits versus 38% of everyone else, the biggest activity gap at UIUC.
- A competition placement award (a ranked finish in a math, science, engineering or other competition): 76% versus 57%.
- A selective summer program: 36% versus 17%.
- An internship: 48% versus 32%.
- A research publication or paper award: 12% versus 2%.
And some showed up more among applicants who weren't admitted:
- Visual arts, theater or creative writing: 10% of admits versus 21%.
- AP Scholar: 32% versus 38%.
Like Georgia Tech, UIUC showed a clear technical-achievement pattern: research, competition results and academic programs lined up with admission, and the research gap has held through every update. That's notable because across all top schools combined, research made no difference. At Michigan, another big public with a heavy engineering pool, research actually showed up slightly more among non-admits.
Two cautions. First, some of these activity gaps may partly reflect major choice: applicants to less crowded majors had an easier path regardless of activities. Second, the gaps shrank as the sample grew (with 18 admits, every admit listed a competition placement), so read the shape rather than any single number. For what counts as real research, and the pay-to-publish industry to avoid, see do high schoolers need research for admissions.
Early action
Most applicants who named a round applied early action: 37 of the 42 admits who stated one, and 23 of the 29 non-admits. Only 5 applicants said they'd been deferred, and none of them were admitted. UIUC's early action round is non-binding, so applying early costs little. We compare the options in early decision vs. early action.
What UIUC applicants can take from this
- Compare with Purdue, Wisconsin and Maryland, three similar big publics pooled in one comparison, where a 3.9 GPA and applying early action stood out.
- Your major is your real admit rate. If you're applying for CS or engineering, plan around those programs' rates, not the campus number.
- Technical achievement showed up clearly. Research, competition placements and selective programs were the biggest differences in this sample.
- Illinois residents have other options too. The state's new direct-admission program doesn't include UIUC, but it covers 10 other public universities; see Illinois guaranteed admission.
UIUC's College Intel page carries the same applicant-profile comparison, updated as new posts are logged.
Sources
- College Intel's tally of self-reported r/collegeresults posts, 2026 admissions cycle (404 posts logged as of Oct 9, 2026; 97 with a UIUC decision). Recruited athletes and transfer applicants excluded. Aggregates only; no individual post is reproduced, and no figure rests on fewer than 3 people.
- College Scorecard -- U.S. Department of Education (UIUC's official admission rate)
- UIUC Office of Undergraduate Admissions first-choice-major admit rates, 2025 first-year cycle, as cited in UIUC computer science acceptance rate