UIUC: the complete school report for parents
UIUC rates 6 of the 18 admission factors Very Important, among them course rigor, GPA and extracurricular activities. This is a genuinely holistic review. It does not consider legacy, demonstrated interest and the interview, so campus visits and emails will not move the decision. UIUC admits between a quarter and half of applicants, and scores are optional but help when they are strong. Major matters more than the name on the diploma here: five years out, Computer Science graduates earn a median $170,405 against $32,182 for Music.
UIUC is officially University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Admissions figures below come from its 2025-2026 Common Data Set (see the source), with the admission-factor grid re-read from that file on 2026-09-20.
Is UIUC a reach, target or safety for your student?
Enter a GPA and course load and the calculator places UIUC against the figures above. No account needed.
What does UIUC actually weigh in admissions?
UIUC rates 6 of the 18 factors "Very Important": course rigor, GPA, extracurricular activities, personal qualities, talent, first-generation status. It does not consider 6 of them at all. Every college reports these weights in section C7 of its Common Data Set; below is UIUC's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.
| Factor | How UIUC rates it |
|---|---|
| course rigor | Very Important |
| GPA | Very Important |
| test scores | Considered |
| the essay | Important |
| extracurricular activities | Very Important |
| recommendations | Not Considered |
| personal qualities | Very Important |
| talent | Very Important |
| class rank | Not Considered |
| demonstrated interest | Not Considered |
| the interview | Not Considered |
| legacy | Not Considered |
| first-generation status | Very Important |
| geography | Considered |
| state residency | Considered |
| volunteer work | Considered |
| work experience | Considered |
| religious affiliation | Not Considered |
Does UIUC consider how hard my child’s courses were?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors. The senior-year schedule should keep its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten.
Does UIUC consider GPA?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does UIUC consider SAT or ACT scores?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does UIUC consider the application essay?
Yes. It is an important factor.
Does UIUC consider extracurricular activities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does UIUC consider recommendation letters?
No. UIUC does not consider it.
Does UIUC consider character and personal qualities?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does UIUC consider a special talent or ability?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does UIUC consider class rank?
No. UIUC does not consider it. A school that does not rank its students is not a disadvantage.
Does UIUC consider demonstrated interest?
No. UIUC does not consider it. Campus visits, emails and info sessions do not move the decision.
Does UIUC consider an interview?
No. UIUC does not consider it. There is no interview to prepare for.
Does UIUC consider legacy status?
No. UIUC does not consider it. A parent or grandparent who attended gives no advantage.
Does UIUC consider being first-generation?
Yes. It is one of the most important factors.
Does UIUC consider where we live?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does UIUC consider state residency?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does UIUC consider volunteer work?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does UIUC consider work experience?
Yes, but only as a secondary factor.
Does UIUC consider religious affiliation?
No. UIUC does not consider it.
What is the UIUC waitlist really like?
UIUC offered a place on its waiting list to 6,826 applicants and 4,317 accepted one. 1 were ultimately admitted. That is 0.0% of those who waited.
Is transferring in easier than applying as a freshman?
UIUC admitted 43.4% of 6,639 transfer applicants, against 36.6% of first-year applicants. The two routes are similarly competitive here.
When do we apply, and does timing change the odds?
UIUC reports its early rounds below.
| Regular application deadline | January 5 |
|---|---|
| Decisions released | March 6 |
| Reply / deposit deadline | May 1 |
| Early Decision offered | No |
| Early Action offered | Yes |
| Early Action deadline | November 1 |
| Application fee | $50 |
| Fee waiver available | Yes |
| Deferred admission offered | Yes |
What does my child need to take in high school?
UIUC requires 15 academic units and recommends 24. A college-preparatory program is neither. A GED is accepted.
| Subject | Required | Recommended |
|---|---|---|
| English | 4 years | 4 years |
| Mathematics | 3 years | 4 years |
| Science | 2 years | 4 years |
| of which lab science | 2 years | Not stated |
| Foreign language | 2 years | 4 years |
| History | 0 years | Not stated |
| Visual / performing arts | 0 years | Not stated |
What will UIUC actually cost us?
Families pay an average of $14,355 a year at UIUC after grants and scholarships, against a published in-state tuition of $12,992. The published price is not what most families pay. The university reports meeting 82% of demonstrated need on average. It also gave 1,425 merit awards averaging $6,027 to first-years with no demonstrated need.
What families at each income level actually paid:
| Family income | Average net price per year |
|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $2,038 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $5,373 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $7,982 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $15,152 |
| Over $110,000 | $28,761 |
38% of UIUC graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $22,040 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $207 a month in repayment. UIUC’s net price calculator gives your own figure.
Does a degree from UIUC pay off?
Graduates earn a median $81,054 ten years after entering, and $64,802 at six years. 90% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years. 79% are actively paying down their loans three years in.
Four-year net cost against that earnings premium:
| Family income | Four-year net cost | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|
| Under $30,000 | $8,152 | 0.2 |
| $30,000–$48,000 | $21,492 | 0.6 |
| $48,000–$75,000 | $31,928 | 0.9 |
| $75,000–$110,000 | $60,608 | 1.6 |
| Over $110,000 | $115,044 | 3.1 |
A scale, not a forecast: it assumes aid and earnings hold steady.
$170,405 to $32,182, depending on the major. Median earnings five years out at UIUC:
| Major | Median earnings, 5 years | Graduates a year |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $170,405 | 292 |
| Computer Engineering | $136,097 | 318 |
| Finance and Financial Management Services | $118,286 | 301 |
| Management Information Systems and Services | $115,128 | 240 |
| Chemical Engineering | $107,589 | 155 |
| Statistics | $104,911 | 333 |
| Electrical, Electronics, and Communications Engineering | $103,028 | 177 |
| Accounting and Related Services | $96,827 | 353 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $96,770 | 265 |
| Cell/Cellular Biology and Anatomical Sciences | $70,132 | 303 |
| Fine and Studio Arts | $33,080 | 30 |
| Music | $32,182 | 56 |
College Scorecard, by field of study; highest and lowest shown.
Will my child actually graduate?
95% of first-years return for a second year. 74% graduate within four years and 86% within six (2019 cohort). The rate holds up across income: 81.0% of Pell-grant recipients graduate within six years against 88.8% of everyone else, a gap of 7.8 points.
How big are the classes?
38% of class sections have fewer than 20 students, while 9% have 100 or more. The student-faculty ratio is 20:1, and 73% of faculty are full-time. Both are true at once: 9% of sections seat 100 or more, and those are the introductory lectures. Accredited by Higher Learning Commission.
What is life at UIUC like?
38,572 undergraduates, 15.52% of first-years from out of state. 99% of freshmen live in university housing, falling to 37% across all undergraduates. Greek life is small: 15% of men join a fraternity and 21% of women a sorority. 25% of students are the first in their family to attend college, and the median family income is $77,278.
What this means for your student
- Course rigor is rated Very Important here, so the senior-year schedule should hold its AP, IB or honors depth rather than lighten. UIUC recommends 24 academic units.
- Skip demonstrated-interest tactics here. Visits and emails are not tracked, so save that effort for schools where they count.
- The waitlist is live but thin: 1 of 4,317 who waited were admitted, about 0%.
- Its highest-earning major returns $170,405 five years out against $32,182 at the other end, a gap wider than the one between most schools.
- See where your student actually stands: calculate their GPA and compare it against the distribution above.
Common questions about UIUC
Does the UIUC waitlist move?
4,317 students accepted a place on the UIUC waiting list and 1 were admitted in the 2025-2026 cycle.
What do UIUC graduates earn?
UIUC graduates earn a median $81,054 ten years after entering, and 90% out-earn a typical high school graduate within six years.
Other schools families compare with UIUC
Where these numbers come from
Admissions figures: UIUC’s 2025-2026 Common Data Set, published here, factor grid re-read from it on 2026-09-20. Earnings, debt, net price and graduation rates: College Scorecard (2022-2023). Unreported values show as “Not reported”.