Acceptance Rate
77%
Avg. SAT
1350
75th percentile
“Chicago's gritty public research engine, fueling diverse go-getters into medicine, engineering, and urban leadership amid the city's pulse.”
Chicago, IL
Location
Large City
Campus Setting
You step onto UIC's sprawling urban campus in Chicago's Near West Side, a powerhouse born from humble roots: it kicked off in 1859 as the nation's first college of pharmacy, evolved into the undergraduate-focused Chicago Circle in 1965 to serve WWII vets and boomers, then merged in 1982 with the massive University of Illinois Medical Center to create today's behemoth. This isn't the idyllic quad of its sibling in Champaign-Urbana; UIC pulses with the raw energy of a city university, drawing first-gen students, commuters, and immigrants who thrive on hustle over hand-holding—think ambitious types who juggle classes with internships downtown via the L train. The personality? Straight-shooting and inclusive, with a majority-minority student body reflecting Chicago's mosaic, but tradeoffs hit hard: no leafy enclave here, just concrete resilience amid occasional urban grit like sirens and sketchy blocks nearby.
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Admissions
Acceptance Rate
Test Policy
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Average GPA
Application Fee
Academics
Student-Faculty Ratio
Programs Offered
Full-Time Faculty
Women Faculty
Research Spending
Degree Levels Offered
In UIC's classrooms, expect a mix of massive lectures in engineering halls where you'll dissect real-world urban problems, and smaller seminars in the Liautaud School of Business honing finance skills for Chicago's trading floors—it's R1 research firepower with over $500 million in annual funding, especially in health sciences where the College of Medicine enrolls more students than any other public med school in the U.S. You'll snag undergrad research gigs at the UI Health trauma center, one of the nation's busiest, or in public health labs tackling city epidemics, backed by a 17:1 student-faculty ratio that's solid but less personal than elite privates. What sets it apart: laser-focus on practical fields like architecture (designing for dense cities) and nursing (top-ranked nationally), though the scale means you'll fight for professor office hours amid 24,000 undergrads.
Student Body
Total Enrollment
22,495 undergrad • 11,411 grad
Undergraduate
Graduate
International
White
27%
Black / African American
8%
Hispanic / Latino
29%
Asian
18%
Other / Multi-racial
18%
Campus Life
Campus Setting
Chicago, IL
Varsity Athletics
NCAA Athletics
A typical week at UIC? Monday labs in the medical district, Wednesday club meetings (pick from 400+, like the Black Student Union or engineering society), Friday hitting Divvy bikes to Wicker Park bars or Bulls games at the nearby United Center—campus life skews commuter (only 15% live in high-rise dorms like the Jefferson Cherry), so you'll bond over shared CTA rides and city adventures rather than rah-rah traditions. The vibe is welcomingly chaotic and diverse, with street fests spilling onto campus and a social scene fueled by cheap eats in Little Village, but challenges loom: brutal Chicago winters trap you indoors, safety requires street smarts after dark, and the urban sprawl dilutes that tight-knit college bubble for partiers seeking Greek life dominance.
Housing
On-Campus Housing
Housing Capacity
Meal Plan Available
Average Room & Board
Athletics
Athletic Association
Missouri Valley Conference
ROTC & Veteran Support
Army
Yes
Navy
Yes
Air Force
Yes
Veteran’s Programs Available
Credit for military training
Yes
Dedicated point of contact for veteran support services
Yes
Recognized student veteran organization
Yes
Member of DoD Voluntary Educational Partnership MOU
Yes
Cost & Aid
In-State Tuition
Out-of-State Tuition
Room & Board
Estimated Cost
Financial Aid
Students Receiving Aid
Receiving Pell Grants
Average Grant
Average Federal Loan
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Outcomes & Earnings
Retention Rate
80%
4 Years Graduation Rate
55%
6 Years Graduation Rate
70%
Median 10-Year Earnings
$68,740
80% of first-time, full-time students complete their freshman year at University of Illinois Chicago and return in the fall. 55% of first-time, full-time students graduate in 4 years, and 70% graduate within 6 years.
Graduation Rate
4-year grads
55%
4-5 years
15%
6-8 years
2%
Non-grad
28%
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Key Statistics
Type
Public
Tuition
$12,396
Acceptance
77%
Undergrads
22,495
4-Year Grad Rate
55%
Endowment
$525M
Chicago, IL 60607
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