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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits a bit under 50% of applicants; strong grades put you in the conversation at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, and the data below says what "strong" means.
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University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign sits in Champaign proper — a public campus woven into the city rather than walled off from it. It carries a land-grant charter — the 1862 mandate that ties it to agricultural and practical education.
Its highest-earning path is Computer Science, where graduates median $181,981 four years out. 23.4% of undergraduates carry Pell grants — a plain read on who the campus actually serves. With 36,258 undergraduates and a residential core, weekends happen on campus — and 94.8% of first-years come back for a second year.
Submitters admitted here typically landed between 1270 and 1510 — above the IL middle for four-year schools. Put your own practice estimate on University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's range with the SAT calculator, or bring a saved GPA from the grade tools.
Admissions
In the Fall 2023 cycle, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign received 67,398 applications and admitted 29,446 (43.7%), with 8,325 enrolling.
Scores help here but aren't the gate. If your SAT sits inside the 1270–1510 submitter range, sending it likely helps; below it, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's own policy says you can leave it out.
| Score | 25th | 50th | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT Reading & Writing | 630 | 690 | 730 |
| SAT Math | 640 | 720 | 780 |
| ACT Composite | 29 | 32 | 34 |
Percentiles are among students who submitted scores (Fall 2023 admissions cycle).
How University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign compares
| University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Illinois median | National median | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 42.4% | 77% | 77.2% |
| Tuition (in-state) | $16,004 | $31,360 | $19,591 |
| Median earnings (10 yr) | $81,054 | $58,572 | $53,781 |
Earnings data favors University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: $81,054 median at year ten, versus $58,572 across Illinois institutions.
Cost, size & completion
In-state students pay $16,004 in tuition; crossing a state border raises that to $35,124. For non-residents, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's $35,124 is the number to weigh against private options before assuming public means cheaper.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is a big school: 36,258 undergraduates at last count.
85.1% of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign students finish a bachelor's within six years — 30.3 points above the national 54.9% — and the single best predictor that the $16,004 price above buys a degree, not just enrollment.
Top majors by earnings at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
| Bachelor's program | Median earnings, 4 yrs after completion |
|---|---|
| Computer Science | $181,981 |
| Computer Engineering | $159,855 |
| Mathematics and Computer Science | $155,503 |
| Computer and Information Sciences, General | $146,946 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $119,978 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $116,339 |
| Nuclear Engineering | $116,047 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $111,783 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | $107,904 |
| Systems Engineering | $106,805 |
| Statistics | $105,978 |
| Chemical Engineering | $104,317 |
| Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods | $104,172 |
| Industrial Engineering | $103,143 |
| Engineering Physics | $102,211 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $101,098 |
| Biomedical/Medical Engineering | $97,926 |
| Materials Engineering | $97,924 |
| Aerospace, Aeronautical, and Astronautical/Space Engineering | $97,276 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $95,329 |
| Civil Engineering | $91,650 |
| Marketing | $90,744 |
| Engineering Mechanics | $89,617 |
| Agricultural Engineering | $89,400 |
| Economics | $86,860 |
| Agricultural Business and Management | $86,646 |
| Public Relations, Advertising, and Applied Communication | $83,451 |
| Physics | $81,077 |
| Mathematics | $78,891 |
| Atmospheric Sciences and Meteorology | $71,425 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $70,213 |
| Chemistry | $70,197 |
| Political Science and Government | $69,515 |
| Health Services/Allied Health/Health Sciences, General | $69,195 |
| Geological and Earth Sciences/Geosciences | $68,201 |
| Sports, Kinesiology, and Physical Education/Fitness | $67,782 |
| Journalism | $67,539 |
| International/Globalization Studies | $67,396 |
| Architectural Sciences and Technology | $67,147 |
| Communication and Media Studies | $66,439 |
| Food Science and Technology | $66,226 |
| Public Health | $65,978 |
| Education, General | $65,864 |
| Communication Disorders Sciences and Services | $65,605 |
| Design and Applied Arts | $65,186 |
| Sustainability Studies | $63,604 |
| Plant Sciences | $63,279 |
| Geography and Cartography | $62,504 |
| Romance Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics | $61,801 |
| Linguistic, Comparative, and Related Language Studies and Services | $61,774 |
| Parks, Recreation, and Leisure Studies | $61,313 |
| Special Education and Teaching | $60,685 |
| Biological and Biomedical Sciences, Other | $60,352 |
| Research and Experimental Psychology | $60,168 |
| Systems Science and Theory | $57,510 |
| Social Work | $56,917 |
| Sociology | $55,393 |
| Natural Resources Conservation and Research | $55,382 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | $55,105 |
| English Language and Literature, General | $54,570 |
| Area Studies | $54,187 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Subject Areas | $52,409 |
| Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and Group Studies | $50,941 |
| Music | $50,544 |
| Human Development, Family Studies, and Related Services | $50,396 |
| Drama/Theatre Arts and Stagecraft | $49,323 |
| Animal Sciences | $48,026 |
| History | $46,718 |
| Rhetoric and Composition/Writing Studies | $44,004 |
| Anthropology | $43,554 |
| Philosophy | $34,482 |
Median earnings for these 71 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign programs come from a different federal cohort than the campus-wide $81,054 above — compare rows to each other, not to that 10-year figure. 31 additional University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign programs have earnings withheld under federal privacy rules.
Frequently asked questions
What GPA and test scores do you need for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% scored 1270–1510 on the SAT. There's no published GPA cutoff — pair these ranges with the 42.4% admission rate to judge your odds.
What is University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's acceptance rate?
43.7% in the Fall 2023 cycle — 29,446 admitted from 67,398 applicants.
How much does University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign cost?
In-state tuition is $16,004; out-of-state students pay $35,124. Fees, housing and aid move the real total in both directions.
What do University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn?
Federal data puts median earnings at $81,054 ten years after enrolling. The table above breaks this down by major.
Similar colleges in Illinois
- Illinois Wesleyan University — 39.3% admitted
- Illinois Institute of Technology — 54.9% admitted
- Hebrew Theological College — 57.1% admitted
- Judson University — 47.6% admitted
Run your own numbers
Data: U.S. Dept. of Education College Scorecard (Jun 2026), IPEDS ADM2023/HD2024. Retrieved 2026-09-01. Figures reflect the latest federal cohorts, which lag the current admissions cycle.