University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) Overview

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign - Overview & Background

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a public research university that was founded in 1859. It is the flagship university under the University of Illinois system and is often called the best public university in the United States. The research expenditure at the University was $642 million in 2017. With 16 schools and colleges under its fold, the University offers more than 150 undergraduate degrees and approximately 100 graduate programs. It offers programs through schools like the College of Business, the College of Engineering, the University Of Illinois College Of Law, and the College of Education.

Established	1867
Founder	John Milton Gregory
Also Known As	Urbana-Champaign, UIUC
University Motto	Learning & Labor
University Type	Public Research University
University City	Urbana and Champaign, Illinois
Student to Faculty Ratio	20:1
Main Campus	Champaign, IL
Campus Size	1,783 acres
Endowment	$3.82 billion (2021)
Acceptance Rate	63.3%
Graduation Rate	84.3%
Employment Rate	94%
Total Enrollment	44,087
Official Website Link	University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign, United States
Contact Detail	+1 217-333-1000

 

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University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Virtual Tour

Ranking

Attesting to its reputation as a great institution for higher studies, the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign ranking is #82 in QS Global World Rankings 2021. It is ranked by The US News Rankings 2021 as #47 in National Universities while #35 in Most Innovative Schools.

Acceptance Rate

University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign acceptance rate is around 60% reflecting its selectivity among the students. Its acceptance rate for Indian students is around 36% for graduate courses. The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign GRE score requirement is around 153 for Verbal and around 163 for Quant. The average SAT scores needed to meet UIUC admission criteria is around 600-690 in Reading and Writing, and 600-770 in Math.

Infrastructure

The campus of the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign is built over 1468 acres. The campus is often described as a ‘work of art’ – because of its beautiful architecture and landscape. This University is in fact amongst the few minority Universities across the world to have its own airport! The library here is one of the biggest public libraries in the world and holds more than 12 million volumes. The campus is also home to excellent laboratories and research centers.

Residing Options

Students can choose from the on-campus or off-campus accommodation options. Most graduate students, however, end up living off-campus because it offers them more privacy and space and is also cheaper than on-campus accommodation. Popular areas for students for off-campus accommodation are Mattis Avenue, Wright Street, Fourth Street, and Green Street. Depending upon the kind of room being offered, the off-campus rent is between $500 and $1000.

Faculty and pedagogy

Well, the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign is known for the excellent quality of education it offers and has some of the best faculty from across the world. A large percentage of the faculty here is friendly and ready to help students – even at non-office hours and thus is quite popular among students.

Fees

The University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign fees for Indian students is around $33000 annually. The off-campus living cost is around $6000. 

Financial aid

Since UIUC is a public university, its tuition fee is not very high. Pegged at $33,000, it is quite reasonable when compared to other universities of the same reputation for graduate courses. Scholarships are far and few and very difficult to get. Students in need of financial aid can apply for Research Assistantships and Teaching Assistantships.

Merit-Based Scholarships

• Matthews Scholars
• Provost Scholarship
• Native American Tribal National Scholarship
• Transfer Scholarship
• Illinois Achievement Scholarship 
• Stamps Scholarship

Outside Scholarships

Click here to see more UIUC Scholarships

Know Scholarship Progams to Study in USA

List of Scholarships in US for Indian Students

Jobs and placements

The Career Centre at the University of Illinois Urbana - Champaign provides all of its students with resources focused on career and professional development. To be eligible for the Career Centre’s services, students should be either currently enrolled or alumni within one year of graduation. Alumni with more than a year after graduation are eligible for one thirty-minute career coaching session, on-site use of the Career Resource Centre, and access to Handshake. Alumni interested in health professions are eligible for pre-professional advising at any time. Students who attended the university but did not receive a degree are ineligible for the Career Centre services.

According to Payscale, the salary range of graduates with an MS degree is $52,201 - $105,280 while the average salary of graduates with MEng/ME degree is $88,124. Graduates with a Master of Computer Science (MCS) degree earn an average salary of $118,259, while those with a Master of Civil Engineering (MCE) Degree earn an average salary of $76,823

The top recruiters employing graduates of this university are :

• The Boeing Company - $64,264 - $124,928
• Northrop Grumman Corporation- $62,052 - $126,760
• Caterpillar, Inc.- $62,338 - $118,296
• International Business Machines (IBM) Corp - $82,414 - $164,706

The most popular job profiles amongst the alumni are :

• Software Engineer
• Mechanical Engineer
• Project Engineer
• Electrical Engineer
• Project Manager
• Civil Engineer
• Structural Engineer

Notable Alumni

Some famous alumni from University of Illinois at Urbana include:

• Edward Doisy, Nobel Prize  in Physiology or Medicine
• Jack Kilby, Nobel Prize  in Physics, inventor of the integrated circuit
• Saint Elmo Brady, Notable HBCU educator, first African American to obtain a Ph.D. degree in chemistry in the United States
• Gilbert Y. Steiner, Fourth president of the Brookings Institution
• John L. Anderson, Eighth president, Illinois Institute of Technology; former Provost, Case Western Reserve University
• Warren E. Bow, President of Wayne State University
• Tom Buchanan, Twenty-third president, University of Wyoming
• Coching Chu, Sixteenth president, Zhejiang University (National Chekiang University period); former vice president, Chinese Academy of Sciences
• Temple Hoyne Buell, Architect for the first American central mall

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Verdict

Every program that is offered at UIUC consistently gets ranked amongst the top 10 and thus UIUC is one the best places for your education. Given the strong emphasis on research at UIUC, getting admission for Indians is quite tough here. This is because a large majority of Indian students lack research skills. However, if you are an aspiring Indian student with an excellent profile, UIUC is definitely worth a try.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Location 

The University of Illinois has an exceptional public transit network available for students, faculty, staff, and visitors. The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District provides 10-minute service frequencies around campus. The Illinois Terminal, around just a mile from the campus, offers three Amtrak trains daily to Chicago and Carbondale, and intercity buses to various destinations. The closest airport to the university is the University of Illinois Willard Airport (CMI).

You may visit the :

• Millennium Park & Cloud Gate
• Abraham Lincoln Presidential Library and Museum
• Lincoln Park
• Anderson Japanese Gardens
• the Starved Rock State Park

During your free time.

There are also numerous places to hang out. The city is littered with cafes, restaurants, and budget hotels for recreational purposes. You may also opt to light up the nightlife at the numerous bars and discotheques.

The university also encourages arts and crafts through the on-campus communities. You may also opt for the multiple sports options available on campus.

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign Map Location

Address: Champaign, IL, United States

Frequently Asked Questions about University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC)

Is University of Illinois-Urbana-Champaign a good school?

In terms of national universities, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is rated 47th. Schools are evaluated according to how they perform in comparison to a number of generally accepted standards of excellence. This shows that it is a good and a prestigious university.

What GPA do you need to get into University of Illinois?

The last two years of undergraduate study must have a grade point average (GPA) of 3.0 (A=4.0) or a comparable GPA for an overseas applicant in order to be considered for admission. Additional semesters may be included in the calculation of the admission GPA if your undergraduate programme lasted longer than four years.

Is Urbana-Champaign Ivy League?

The educational system in Illinois was built around "industrial" education, which was the precursor to modern engineering and applied science. The University of Illinois is now regarded as a Public Ivy and one of the world's top institutions for STEM and business.

Is UIUC a top 10 school?

In the 2021–22 edition of U.S. News & World Report's America's Best Colleges rankings, Illinois was ranked as the 15th best public institution overall and the 47th best overall university nationally. In terms of undergraduate and graduate programs, the Department of Accounting is ranked third.

What major is University of Illinois known for?

Engineering, Business, Marketing, Management and Related Support Services, Journalism, and Related Programs, Social Sciences, Computer and Information Sciences and Support Services, Communication, Psychology, Animal/ Agricultural/ Plant/ Veterinary Science and Related Fields, Mathematics and Statistics, Biological and Biomedical Sciences, and Health Professions and Related Programs are the most sought-after majors at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.