University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: the complete school report for parents

What does University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign actually weigh in admissions?

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign's 2025-2026 answer, read from the grid in its own file.

What is the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign waitlist really like?

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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?

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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?

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign reports its early rounds below.

What does my child need to take in high school?

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign requires 15 academic units and recommends 24. A college-preparatory program is neither. A GED is accepted.

What will University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign actually cost us?

Families pay an average of $14,355 a year at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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:

38% of University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates borrow, leaving with an average of $22,040 in debt, which the federal data puts at about $207 a month in repayment. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign’s net price calculator gives your own figure.

Does a degree from University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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:

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 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign:

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 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

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