University of Illinois Chicago: A Parent's Guide to Admissions, Cost & Outcomes
Dekalb, Illinois · Public · Moderately selective · CDS 2024-2025
University of Illinois Chicago is a public university in Dekalb, Illinois that admits about 70% of applicants, making it a moderately selective school. The average family pays about $12,909 a year after financial aid, which matters more than the published sticker price. It is best known for Psychology, General, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Health/Medical Preparatory Programs, its largest undergraduate programs by number of graduates. Its most recent Clery Act report shows roughly 5.9 criminal offenses per 1,000 students.
University of Illinois Chicago is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois with a moderately selective admissions profile. For the most recent reporting cycle, University of Illinois Chicago admits about half to three-quarters of applicants, with an overall admission rate of 70%. The average net price after grants and scholarships is $12,909 per year, which is the figure most families actually pay rather than the published sticker price. For parents weighing whether University of Illinois Chicago is realistic for their teenager, the most useful planning step is comparing your child's current GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against these admitted-student ranges — not the headline acceptance rate alone.
What GPA does my child need for University of Illinois Chicago?
University of Illinois Chicago admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum. Parents tracking their child's GPA toward this tier of school can use Solyo's free calculator to see weighted, unweighted, and college-recalculated numbers side by side.
SAT and ACT scores University of Illinois Chicago typically admits
Many applicants to schools in this tier submit test scores, though the policy varies by year — check the latest test-optional status before deciding.
How much does University of Illinois Chicago actually cost?
Published tuition is $12,700 for in-state students and $12,700 for out-of-state, before grants and scholarships. Room and board adds roughly $12,800 annually. After need-based and merit aid, the average family pays a net price of $12,909 per year — the number that actually matters for budgeting. Roughly 46% of students receive Pell Grants, a useful indicator of how much need-based aid the school distributes.
| Average net price (after aid) | $12,909 |
Application deadlines and early decision data for University of Illinois Chicago
Most popular majors at University of Illinois Chicago
The most popular undergraduate programs at University of Illinois Chicago, measured by the number of students who actually graduate each year, are Psychology, General, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Health/Medical Preparatory Programs. Across all programs, University of Illinois Chicago confers roughly 1,167 bachelor's degrees a year. Graduates of its Psychology, General program report a median income of about $47,360 five years after entering college. Major popularity is a practical signal of where a school concentrates its teaching strength and where your child will find the deepest course offerings and peer community.
| Major | Graduates / year | Median earnings (5 yrs out) |
|---|---|---|
| Psychology, General | 193 | $47,360 |
| Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing | 166 | $78,637 |
| Health/Medical Preparatory Programs | 153 | $54,266 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | 149 | $76,392 |
| Computer Science | 132 | $85,811 |
| Teacher Education and Professional Development, Specific Levels and Methods | 127 | $48,018 |
| Marketing | 125 | $68,194 |
| Accounting and Related Services | 122 | $83,523 |
Is University of Illinois Chicago safe? Campus crime & safety
In its most recent Clery Act report (2024), University of Illinois Chicago disclosed 67 total criminal offenses across its campus and surrounding public property, about 5.9 per 1,000 students. That figure includes 25 violent offenses and 17 reported sexual assaults or VAWA offenses. Per-1,000-student rates matter more than raw counts when comparing schools, because larger universities mechanically report more incidents. Under the federal Clery Act, every college that receives federal aid must publish these numbers annually.
Other colleges in Illinois parents ask about
- University of Chicago7% acceptance
- Northwestern University5% acceptance
- University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign44% acceptance
- DePaul University55% acceptance
- Loyola University Chicago93% acceptance
- Illinois State University89% acceptance
- Southern Illinois University-Carbondale90% acceptance
- Lake Forest College54% acceptance
How parents track GPA toward selective schools like University of Illinois Chicago
Solyo helps parents track grades pulled directly from school emails, calculate GPA the same way colleges like University of Illinois Chicago recalculate it, and ask an AI college counselor specific questions about their teen's odds. The platform is built for parents — not students — and turns what's usually a fragmented planning process into a single dashboard.
Common questions parents ask about University of Illinois Chicago
What GPA do I need for University of Illinois Chicago?
University of Illinois Chicago admits students with a wide GPA range, but most successful applicants present an unweighted GPA of 3.3 or higher with a college-prep curriculum.
What SAT or ACT score does University of Illinois Chicago typically admit?
University of Illinois Chicago does not publish standardized test ranges in the most recent reporting cycle. Test-optional policies have made scores less universally required, but submitting strong scores still helps when available.
How much does University of Illinois Chicago actually cost after financial aid?
The average net price at University of Illinois Chicago after grants and scholarships is $12,909 per year. That figure is more useful for budgeting than the published sticker price, because it reflects what families actually pay after aid is applied.
Is University of Illinois Chicago realistic for my child?
Compare your teen's current unweighted GPA and most recent SAT or ACT against the ranges above. If both numbers fall inside the school's middle-50, University of Illinois Chicago is a target school. If both fall below the 25th-percentile mark, treat it as a reach and balance the application list accordingly.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Illinois Chicago?
University of Illinois Chicago accepts about 70% of applicants. That makes it a moderately selective school.
Is University of Illinois Chicago a public or private school, and where is it located?
University of Illinois Chicago is a public institution located in Dekalb, Illinois.
What are the most popular majors at University of Illinois Chicago?
The largest undergraduate majors at University of Illinois Chicago by annual graduates are Psychology, General, Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing and Health/Medical Preparatory Programs. The school awards about 1,167 bachelor's degrees a year in total. These figures come from federal IPEDS completion data.
Is University of Illinois Chicago safe? What is its campus crime rate?
University of Illinois Chicago reported 67 total criminal offenses in its most recent Clery Act disclosure (2024), roughly 5.9 per 1,000 students. Compare the per-1,000 rate rather than the raw total, since larger schools report more incidents.
Data sourced from the 2024-2025 Common Data Set submitted by University of Illinois Chicago, the U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS, and Clery Act campus safety disclosures. Solyo extracts admissions data from official Common Data Set publications and refreshes it annually.