Admissions

Illinois acceptance rate

Last checked: 2026-10-26

The acceptance rate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is 43.7% for fall 2023. Out of 67,398 applicants, 29,446 were admitted and 8,325 enrolled.

The application numbers

FigureFall 2023
Applicants, fall 202367,398
Admitted, fall 202329,446
Acceptance rate, fall 202343.7%
Admitted students who enrolled, fall 20238,325

How this rate compares

Against the Illinois pilot school average of 53.6%, the rate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is 9.9 points lower, which means a smaller share of applicants were admitted.

Against the national pilot school average of 53.0%, the rate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is 9.3 points lower, which means a smaller share of applicants were admitted.

Averages here are simple averages across the pilot schools that publish a rate, 8 schools in Illinois and 235 schools nationwide on this site.

What the acceptance rate does and does not mean

The acceptance rate is the share of applicants who were offered a place. It is worked out by dividing the number of students admitted by the number who applied, for fall 2023.

A low rate means many more people applied than the school could admit. It does not by itself prove that a school is better, that teaching is stronger, or that graduates earn more. Some schools draw very large applicant pools because applying is free or simple, and some excellent schools admit a large share of a smaller, well matched pool.

A high rate does not mean admission is automatic. Schools still set entry requirements, and popular programs inside a school can be far harder to enter than the overall rate suggests. The rate also says nothing about cost. Read it beside the total cost, the average net price, and the outcomes on the cost page for University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Similar schools to compare

Frequently asked questions

What is the acceptance rate at Illinois?

The acceptance rate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is 43.7% for fall 2023. It is the number admitted, 29,446, divided by the number who applied, 67,398.

How many students apply to Illinois each year?

In fall 2023, 67,398 students applied to University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, 29,446 were admitted, and 8,325 admitted students enrolled.

How selective is Illinois compared with other schools in Illinois?

The average acceptance rate across the pilot schools in Illinois that publish a rate is 53.6%, and the national average across the pilot schools on this site is 53.0%. The rate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is 43.7%.

Does a low acceptance rate mean a school is better?

No. A low rate means far more people applied than the school could admit. It says nothing on its own about teaching quality, cost, or graduate earnings, which is why this site prints the rate beside cost and outcomes figures.

How much does Illinois cost?

The total cost for one year at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is $33,642 for in state students. The cost page on this site breaks that total into tuition, fees, books and supplies, room and board, and other expenses.

What is the graduation rate at Illinois?

The graduation rate at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is 85%, measuring the share of a starting cohort that finished within one and a half times the normal program length.

Sources: the Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System, United States Department of Education. Admissions figures are for fall 2023. See the methodology page for full detail.