University in United States
Chicago, IL, United States
University profile
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research university in Chicago, Illinois, and the largest university in the Chicago area, with 37,199 students enrolled across 16 colleges (Fall 2026). Its mission is to provide the broadest access to the highest levels of educational, research and clinical excellence. UIC describes itself as one of the most ethnically and culturally diverse universities in the country.
The main campus lies in Chicago, with regional campuses for health sciences programmes in Peoria (Medicine, Nursing), the Quad Cities (Nursing), Rockford (Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy), Springfield (Nursing) and Urbana (Nursing). The university offers 97 bachelor's, 102 master's and 65 doctoral programmes and 82 certificates (Fall 2026).
Colleges and schools include Applied Health Sciences; Architecture, Design, and the Arts; Business Administration; Dentistry; Education; Engineering; the Graduate College; the Honors College; the School of Law; Liberal Arts and Sciences; Medicine; Nursing; the Retzky College of Pharmacy; the School of Public Health; the Jane Addams College of Social Work; and Urban Planning and Public Affairs. UI Health, the university's academic medical center, includes a 451-bed hospital and Children's Hospital University of Illinois, and the Great Cities Institute and the Jane Addams Hull-House Museum are part of the university.
Student life centres on campus housing, including the Academic and Residential Complex, Commons North, Commons West and Courtyard on the east side, James Stukel Towers, Marie Robinson Hall and Thomas Beckham Hall on the south side, and the Single Student Residence on the west side, with Living Learning Communities by major and interest. A Commuter Student Resource Center in Student Center East serves commuting students. UIC teams compete as the Flames in the Missouri Valley Conference, and the campus is served by three rail stations, bike-share stations and an intracampus bus line.
International applicants apply with credentials from their country of study and English proficiency scores (TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, PTE Academic or, from Fall 2027, Duolingo). The Tutorium in Intensive English offers English study and an assessment accepted for admission. UIC's institutional code for TOEFL and GRE reporting is 1851.
Full-time undergraduate rates for 2026-27 range from $16,796 to $21,592 per academic year in-state and $33,496 to $38,292 out-of-state (with U-PASS), varying by programme; U-PASS+ rates are $17,230-$22,026 in-state and $33,930-$38,726 out-of-state. Graduate tuition is assessed per term by credit-hour range and residency (in-state or out-of-state) for on-campus programmes, and per credit hour for online programmes regardless of residency.
UIC undergraduates received nearly $200 million in financial aid and scholarships last year, and nearly two-thirds receive grants or scholarships. Complete the FAFSA for need-based grants; applicants are automatically considered for most university and college scholarships once the UIC application is complete, with a first-year priority date of November 2.
Awards listed for non-residents are limited to U.S. citizens and permanent residents. Graduate funding is described on the graduate tuition and fees page; details: undergraduate aid and scholarships.
UIC Aspire Program (free tuition and fees) →
Chancellor's Fellows Award (AIM HIGH) →
Browse the scholarships listed for University of Illinois Chicago and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for University of Illinois Chicago →Apply through the Common Application, including UIC's questions and essays, with the $70 nonrefundable application fee or fee waiver (waivers are for domestic applications only) and official high school transcripts. ACT or SAT scores are optional; about two-thirds of applicants chose to be reviewed without a score, and self-reported scores and superscores are not accepted. AP or IB scores are not required but are reviewed if provided. Review covers course selection and rigor, GPA, essays and choice of major.
Recommended coursework for all majors: 4 years English, 3-4 years mathematics, 3 years science, 3 years social science, 2 years second language; for STEM and Business majors: 4 years mathematics (precalculus or above) and 4 years science. Middle 50% of the admitted Fall 2026 class (unweighted GPA, test-optional): Engineering 3.3-3.8, Liberal Arts and Sciences 3.3-3.7, Business Administration 3.2-3.7, Nursing 3.6-4.0. Test-inclusive Engineering profile: SAT 1310-1470 (ACT 28-33).
Deadlines: Spring 2027 first-year October 1, 2026; Fall 2027 Early Action November 2, 2026; Fall 2027 Regular Decision February 1, 2027. Honors College and Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions applicants submit an essay and two recommendations.
Apply with the UIC web application, the $70 fee or waiver and official transcripts from every college attended; applicants with fewer than 36 graded transferable hours also submit high school transcripts. Deadlines: Spring 2027 October 15, 2026; Fall 2027 Nursing January 15, 2027; Fall 2027 April 1, 2027. Transfer Guides and Transferology show programme prerequisites and course transfer.
Undergraduates meet first-year or transfer requirements plus English proficiency and financial certification. First-year international applicants pay $170 ($70 application fee plus a $100 international evaluation fee); transfer and second bachelor's applicants with non-U.S. coursework pay the $100 evaluation fee in addition to $70. Transcripts must be official; documents not in English need an ATA-certified translation, and a syllabus of international coursework is required.
English minimums (one test only): TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS Academic 6.5, PTE Academic 54, Duolingo 120 (Fall 2027 onward); applications below the minimums are still considered, and some colleges set higher scores. Scores are valid for two years. Exemptions include two consecutive years of full-time study in an English-only country, SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing 570 or higher, ACT English 24 or higher, AP English Language 4 or higher, and IB English 5 or higher. The Office of International Services handles visa documentation for admitted students.
Applicants need a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited U.S. college or a comparable foreign degree, an online application and an $80 non-refundable fee (effective Fall 2026 applications). Programme-required materials such as GRE scores (institutional code 1851), personal statement, recommendations and writing samples are set by each programme; deadlines differ for domestic and international applicants and by programme. International graduate applicants submit PDF copies of credentials for review, with sealed official credentials requested after admission; TOEFL iBT, IELTS Academic, PTE Academic and education- or employment-based waivers are accepted for English proficiency.
Campus housing offers Living Learning Communities and free tutoring for residents; meal plans cover dining locations across campus. Over 800 bike racks, Divvy stations and an intracampus bus support travel around campus.
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