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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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Champaign, IL

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The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign was founded in 1867 as a land-grant institution and serves as the flagship campus of the University of Illinois System. It is organized into multiple colleges and schools spanning engineering, business, and the liberal arts, and its faculty and alumni have been affiliated with 25 Nobel Prizes and 31 Pulitzer Prizes. The university describes itself as a pre-eminent public research university continuing a land-grant mission of research, teaching, and public engagement.

Admissions

Admit rate42%
SAT range1310–1520
ACT range30–34
Undergrads36,258
Yield (admits who enroll)28%
Next deadlineNov 1, 2026 (EA)

Cost & outcomes

Cost of attendance$33,642
4-year grad rate85%
Median earnings, 10yr out$81,054

From the US Dept of Education College Scorecard, most recent year reported. Not every school reports every field.

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How University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign weighs your application

From University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's own Common Data Set, 2024-25, Section C7 -- not a generic admissions checklist. What is a Common Data Set?

Academic factors
Rigor of secondary school recordVery important
Class rankNot considered
Academic GPAVery important
Standardized test scoresConsidered
Application essayImportant
RecommendationsNot considered
Nonacademic factors
InterviewNot considered
Extracurricular activitiesImportant
Talent/abilityImportant
Character/personal qualitiesImportant
First generationImportant
Alumni relation (legacy)Not considered
Geographical residenceConsidered
State residencyConsidered
Religious affiliationNot considered
Volunteer workConsidered
Work experienceConsidered
Level of interest (demonstrated interest)Not considered
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Paying it back

Undergrads taking federal loans27%
Loan balance still growing, 3yrs out79%

"Still growing" means a borrower's payments aren't yet covering interest 3 years into repayment -- not a default rate. A high number here can mean real repayment difficulty, or just a lot of grads who deferred for graduate school, so read it alongside the school's typical outcomes above.

Majors & earnings

Agriculture, Agriculture Operations, and Related Sciences
Agricultural Business and Management$86,646/yr
Food Science and Technology$66,226/yr
Plant Sciences$63,279/yr
Animal Sciences$48,026/yr
Architecture and Related Services
Architectural Sciences and Technology$67,147/yr
Area, Ethnic, Cultural, Gender, and Group Studies
Area Studies$54,187/yr
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies$50,941/yr
Biological and Biomedical Sciences
Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences$70,213/yr
Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other$60,352/yr
Business, Management, Marketing, and Related Support Services
Finance and Financial Management Services$119,978/yr
Management Information Systems and Services$116,339/yr
Business Administration, Management and Operations$107,904/yr
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods$104,172/yr
Accounting and Related Services$101,098/yr
Marketing$90,744/yr
Communication, Journalism, and Related Programs
Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication$83,451/yr
Journalism$67,539/yr
Communication and Media Studies$66,439/yr
Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services
Computer Science$181,981/yr
Computer and Information Sciences, General$146,946/yr
Education
Education, General$65,864/yr
Special Education and Teaching$60,685/yr
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods$55,105/yr
Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas$52,409/yr
Engineering
Computer Engineering$159,855/yr
Nuclear Engineering$116,047/yr
Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering$111,783/yr
Systems Engineering$106,805/yr
Chemical Engineering$104,317/yr
Industrial Engineering$103,143/yr
Engineering Physics$102,211/yr
Biomedical/Medical Engineering$97,926/yr
Materials Engineering$97,924/yr
Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering$97,276/yr
Mechanical Engineering$95,329/yr
Civil Engineering$91,650/yr
Engineering Mechanics$89,617/yr
Agricultural Engineering$89,400/yr
English Language and Literature/Letters
English Language and Literature, General$54,570/yr
Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies$44,004/yr
Family and Consumer Sciences/Human Sciences
Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services$50,396/yr
Foreign Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics
Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics$61,801/yr
Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services$61,774/yr
Health Professions and Related Programs
Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General$69,195/yr
Public Health$65,978/yr
Communication Disorders Sciences and Services$65,605/yr
History
History$46,718/yr
Mathematics and Statistics
Statistics$105,978/yr
Mathematics$78,891/yr
Multi/Interdisciplinary Studies
Mathematics and Computer Science$155,503/yr
International/Globalization Studies$67,396/yr
Sustainability Studies$63,604/yr
Systems Science and Theory$57,510/yr
Natural Resources and Conservation
Natural Resources Conservation and Research$55,382/yr
Parks, Recreation, Leisure, and Fitness Studies
Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness$67,782/yr
Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies$61,313/yr
Philosophy and Religious Studies
Philosophy$34,482/yr
Physical Sciences
Physics$81,077/yr
Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology$71,425/yr
Chemistry$70,197/yr
Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences$68,201/yr
Psychology
Research and Experimental Psychology$60,168/yr
Public Administration and Social Service Professions
Social Work$56,917/yr
Social Sciences
Economics$86,860/yr
Political Science and Government$69,515/yr
Geography and Cartography$62,504/yr
Sociology$55,393/yr
Anthropology$43,554/yr
Visual and Performing Arts
Design and Applied Arts$65,186/yr
Music$50,544/yr
Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft$49,323/yr

Median earnings 4 years after graduation, by major, from the US Dept of Education. Only shown where the school reports a real figure for that major -- most schools don't report every major they offer, especially smaller programs.

Campus life

On-campus housingYes
Required to live on campusYes
Dormitory capacity15,648
Typical room chargeNot reported
Typical board chargeNot reported

Room and board are shown separately from the cost of attendance above -- that total already includes them alongside tuition and fees, this just breaks out the living-cost portion.

What matters in your application

GPANot considered
Class rankNot considered
RecommendationsNot considered

From this school's own reporting to the US Dept of Education on what it formally requires, considers, or doesn't use when reviewing applications.

Frequently asked questions

What does University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign look for in applicants?

Per University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's own Common Data Set (Section C7), it rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA as "very important" in admissions decisions -- its own stated top factors, not a generic guess.

What is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's acceptance rate?

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign in Champaign, IL admits approximately 42% of applicants, based on the US Dept of Education's most recently reported figures.

What SAT score do I need for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

Admitted students at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign typically score between 1310–1520 on the SAT (25th–75th percentile).

What ACT score do I need for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

Admitted students at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign typically score between 30–34 on the ACT (25th–75th percentile).

How much does University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign cost?

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's total cost of attendance is reported at $33,642 per year, including tuition, fees, and room and board.

When is the application deadline for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's earliest deadline is Nov 1, 2026 (EA), per its own published admissions calendar.

Does University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign require students to live on campus?

Yes -- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign requires students to live in on-campus housing.

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