University of Illinois, Chicago vs University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Acceptance Rate, SAT & Net Price

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the more selective of the two, admitting 36.6% of applicants versus 77.3% at University of Illinois, Chicago. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $10,921 per year at University of Illinois, Chicago versus $14,890 at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

University of Illinois, Chicago vs University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: admissions and cost statistics from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard
MetricUniversity of Illinois, ChicagoUniversity of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
Overall acceptance rate77.3%36.6%
SAT middle 50%1030–13001390–1510
Avg unweighted GPA3.453.85
Yield rate21.0%29.0%
Class size4,4199,008
Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income$10,921$14,890
Net price, over $110,000 income$25,047$30,567

Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.

Frequently asked questions

Is University of Illinois, Chicago harder to get into than University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

No. University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is more selective: it admits 36.6% of applicants, versus 77.3% at University of Illinois, Chicago, based on the most recent Common Data Set.

Which is cheaper for a middle-income family, University of Illinois, Chicago or University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $10,921 per year at University of Illinois, Chicago and $14,890 at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, so University of Illinois, Chicago is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).

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