University in United States
Champaign, IL, United States
University profile
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (Illinois) is a public research university in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, Illinois. Founded in 1867, it describes its mission as enhancing the lives of people in Illinois, across the nation and around the world through leadership in learning, discovery, engagement and economic development, and its vision as being the pre-eminent public research university with a land-grant mission and global impact.
Total enrolment reached 61,060 students (undergraduate, graduate and online), the first time above 61,000. Undergraduates number more than 35,000, drawn from 47 states and 124 countries, with a 19:1 student-to-faculty ratio. Over 150 majors are offered across 11 academic communities, and the campus counts more than 1,000 student clubs and organisations, more than 30 cultural and support centres and 21 Division I Big Ten sports teams.
Academic units are the College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences; College of Applied Health Sciences; Gies College of Business; College of Education; The Grainger College of Engineering; College of Fine and Applied Arts; Division of Exploratory Studies; Graduate College; School of Labor and Employment Relations; College of Law; College of Liberal Arts & Sciences; School of Information Sciences; College of Media; Carle Illinois College of Medicine; School of Social Work; and the College of Veterinary Medicine.
Research is a defining strength: the university cites 175+ research centres and institutes, 41% of undergraduates taking part in research, and more than 100 companies at its Research Park. It reports 25 Nobel Prizes and 31 Pulitzer Prizes associated with the campus community. Students can choose from 300+ study abroad programmes in 50+ countries.
Illinois has 12,474 international students and scholars from 125 countries (academic year 2024-2025); international students make up 39% of graduate students, from 144 countries. International Student and Scholar Services provides immigration advising, orientation and programming, and the Graduate College serves more than 20,000 graduate students.
Estimates include food and housing ($15,858), books and supplies ($1,200) and other expenses and exclude aid.
Students are automatically considered for University Scholarships (academic excellence, first-year and transfer) when they apply, and each college offers its own scholarships. Need-based aid is awarded from the FAFSA. Scholarships and grants account for 67% of aid provided, loans 28% and student employment 5%. FAFSA priority deadline is March 15 (school code 001775 for graduate students).
Covers tuition and campus fees for up to four years for qualified in-state students with family income and assets of $75,000 or less. See Illinois Commitment.
Need-based financial aid is not available to international undergraduates; limited scholarships and loans are available through International Student and Scholar Services. See ISSS scholarships and financial aid. Graduate students may be supported through assistantships, fellowships and tuition waivers; the Graduate College awards more than $3 million annually in internal fellowships.
University and College Merit Scholarships →
Need-Based Aid and Scholarships (Office of Student Financial Aid) →
ISSS International Student Financial Assistance →
Browse the scholarships listed for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and check each award’s eligibility.
View scholarships for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign →Required high school coursework: English 4 years; Math 3 or 3.5 years (4 recommended), with at least 3.5 years including trigonometry or higher for Computer Science + X, Gies College of Business, Grainger College of Engineering and several science, architecture and information sciences majors; Social Science 2 years (4 recommended); Lab Sciences 2 years (4 recommended); a Language Other Than English 2 years (through the second level of one language; American Sign Language acceptable; 4 recommended); and 2 years of flexible academic units (art, music or approved vocational courses may count). Applicants submit an application fee or approved fee waiver, a self-reported academic record (SRAR), any test scores they choose to report, and English language proficiency scores if required. Review is holistic; test scores are considered if submitted.
Transfer applicants submit the application fee or waiver, official transcripts from all colleges attended, the official high school transcript or equivalency results, and English proficiency scores if required. Minimum GPA guidelines vary by college and major, for example 3.5 for Gies College of Business and Grainger College of Engineering (3.5 or higher recommended), 3.0 for most Education majors and 2.7 for most Liberal Arts and Sciences majors. Fall transfer: opens January 15, priority deadline February 1, final deadline April 1. Spring transfer: opens September 1, deadline October 1.
All students, regardless of citizenship, must demonstrate English proficiency. First-year applicants who did not complete Grades 10-12 in an approved English-speaking country submit TOEFL, IELTS, Duolingo English Test, ACT or SAT scores taken within two years of entry; this cannot be waived. TOEFL institution code is 1836. First-year applicants self-report academic information and submit official documents only if they enroll; transfer applicants must provide official transcripts and proof of secondary school completion. Country-specific guidance exists for Canada, China, GCSE/GCE A levels, India, IB, Malaysia, New Zealand, Singapore and South Korea. Illinois does not use private recruiting agents.
Applicants need at least a bachelor's degree from a regionally accredited US institution or a comparable degree abroad, and a GPA of 3.0 (A=4.0), or comparable, over the last two years of undergraduate study; programmes may require more. International applicants need English proficiency: full-status minimum IELTS Academic 7.5 or Duolingo 135 (limited-status minimum IELTS 6.5, Duolingo 115), with TOEFL iBT minimums of 5.0 full status and 4.0 limited status for scores dated after 1/20/2026 (103 and 79 for earlier scores), dated within two years of the term. Applications go through the Graduate College online application; Medical Doctor, Juris Doctor and Doctor of Veterinary Medicine applicants apply directly to those colleges.
The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is located in the adjoining cities of Champaign and Urbana in east-central Illinois, approximately 140 miles south of Chicago. It is a residential campus of classrooms, laboratories, libraries, residence halls, and recreational and cultural facilities.
The Main Quad sits at the centre of campus, with the Illini Union at its north end and Foellinger Auditorium, the largest lecture hall on campus, at its south end. Campus also includes the Krannert Art Museum, the Spurlock Museum, the Krannert Center for the Performing Arts and Japan House, which is surrounded by a Japanese tea garden, a Zen-style rock garden and the university arboretum.
Research Park, on the south end of campus, is home to over 120 companies. The university's South Farms cover more than 1,000 acres devoted to agricultural research and learning for the College of Agricultural, Consumer, and Environmental Sciences. Athletic facilities support the Fighting Illini teams of the Big Ten Conference.
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