What is UIUC's acceptance rate?

38.1% of first-year applicants were admitted for 2026, and 32.8% were admitted to their first-choice major, per UIUC Undergraduate Admissions. By college, first-choice admit rates ranged from 22.5% in Gies College of Business and 23.3% in Grainger Engineering to 55.5% in Fine and Applied Arts.

When is the UIUC Early Action deadline?

November 1, with all required materials due by November 7 (11:59 p.m. Central). Regular Decision closes January 5, with materials due January 11. Early Action decisions come January 29 and Regular Decision decisions February 26. Early Action is non-binding.

How many UIUC freshmen are from Illinois?

6,530 of the fall 2026 class of 9,332 freshmen were from Illinois, about 70%, per the university. They came from 92 of the state's 102 counties. UIUC received 84,833 freshman applications for fall 2026.

UIUC Admissions for Illinois Residents: 38.1% Admit Rate, 70% of Freshmen From Illinois, and the Nov. 1 Early Action Deadline

UIUC admissions for Illinois residents at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign start with a deadline one week away: Early Action closes November 1. UIUC admitted 38.1% of first-year applicants for 2026, but the rate depends heavily on your major: 22.5% for business, 23.3% for engineering, 55.5% for fine and applied arts. Illinois residents made up 6,530 of the record 9,332 freshmen who enrolled this fall, about 70%.

The figures below are from UIUC Undergraduate Admissions' admit-rate, class-profile and deadline pages and the university's fall 2026 enrollment announcement.

2026 admit rates by college

	Admit rate (first-choice major)
All first-year applicants (any major)	38.1%
All first-year applicants, first-choice major	32.8%
Fine & Applied Arts	55.5%
Division of Exploratory Studies	54.3%
School of Information Sciences	52.8%
College of Media	48.2%
Agricultural, Consumer & Environmental Sciences	46.7%
College of Education	42.5%
Liberal Arts & Sciences	40.6%
School of Social Work	38.8%
Applied Health Sciences	28.9%
Grainger College of Engineering	23.3%
Gies College of Business	22.5%

Source: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, First-Year Admit Rates: 2026.

The 38.1% counts every admitted student; 32.8% were admitted to their first-choice major. UIUC says admission "may depend on space available in the major," and students admitted to their second choice are automatically wait-listed for their first. For computer science specifically, see UIUC's CS acceptance rate.

Who enrolled in fall 2026

9,332 first-year students, a record for the third straight year.
6,530 from Illinois, about 70%, from 92 of the state's 102 counties. UIUC says the in-state number "remained consistent" with last year.
84,833 freshman applications.
Average ACT 31.2 and SAT 1487.

Admitted students' middle 50%

	Campus	Grainger Engineering	Gies Business	Liberal Arts & Sciences
GPA	3.70-4.00	3.90-4.00	3.81-4.00	3.73-4.00
SAT	1440-1540	1490-1550	1440-1520	1440-1540
ACT	31-35	33-35	32-34	31-35
Submitted a test score	63%	84%	67%	66%

Source: UIUC, First-Year Class Profile (students admitted over the past three years).

UIUC is test-optional: you report any scores you choose, and they're considered if you submit them. Engineering admits submitted scores far more often (84%) than social work admits (24%).

Fall 2027 deadlines

	Deadline
Application opens	September 1
Early Action (non-binding)	November 1; materials by November 7
Regular Decision	January 5; materials by January 11
Early Action decisions	January 29
Regular Decision decisions	February 26
Honors and scholarship notifications	By April 1
Commit deadline	May 1

Source: UIUC, First-Year Dates & Deadlines. Submissions are due by 11:59 p.m. Central.

UIUC isn't part of Illinois's One Click College Admit guarantee, so you apply the standard way, with essays and a self-reported academic record (SRAR).

Paying for it: Illinois Commitment

Illinois Commitment covers UIUC tuition and campus fees for Illinois residents whose families have income of $75,000 or less and assets of $75,000 or less. You must have graduated from an Illinois high school and be under 24. There's no separate application: file the FAFSA by March 15. See Illinois free tuition programs and the MAP Grant.

What this means for you

Apply Early Action by November 1. It's non-binding, and decisions come January 29.
Your major choice matters more than the headline rate. Business and engineering admit under a quarter of first-choice applicants.
Choose your second-choice major carefully. If your first choice is full, UIUC may admit you to your second and automatically wait-list you for the first.
File the FAFSA by March 15 for Illinois Commitment, and earlier for MAP.