This makes UIUC CS comparable to Ivy-level selectivity while the overall university is moderately selective
Yield
Yield rate: 27.4% (Class of 2024, lowest in recent years)
Demographics (College Scorecard)
Group
Pct
White
39%
Asian
23%
Hispanic
14%
International
14%
Black
6%
Multiracial
4%
Women
49%
Net Cost by Income (College Scorecard)
Income Bracket
Net Price
$0-30K
$3,883
$30K-48K
$5,955
$48K-75K
$10,065
$75K-110K
$20,205
$110K+
$28,358
Illinois Commitment program covers tuition for qualifying in-state families.
Athletics
Division: NCAA Division I (Big Ten)
Total athletes: 650 (354 men, 296 women)
Sports: 21 varsity (10 men's, 11 women's)
Athlete pct: ~1.8% of undergrads
Simulation Notes
Category: flagship_public
The dramatically lower CS acceptance rate (~7%) vs overall (~42%) is a key characteristic. For the simulation, using the overall rate is appropriate since we model university-level admissions, but the notable field flags this.
Strong in-state bias (71% of freshmen are Illinois residents)
Very generous financial aid for low-income students ($3,883 net cost for <$30K)
Community Insights (Reddit/Forums)
Admissions Strategy
CS acceptance rate is the headline: ~7% for direct CS admission, making it Ivy-comparable in difficulty. CS+X programs are ~18.5%, a popular alternative pathway frequently recommended on forums.
Massive gap between CS and overall: University-wide is 42%, but CS/CE are <7%. Forum posters stress that "UIUC CS" and "UIUC" are essentially different schools in terms of admissions difficulty.
In-state vs OOS matters: RD acceptance rate is ~55% in-state vs ~35% OOS/international. In-state applicants have meaningfully better odds across all programs.
EA is offered (Nov 1) but no separate EA rate is published. Forum consensus is that EA timing helps marginally.
Test-optional but 41% submitted SAT, 14% ACT. For competitive programs (CS, Engineering), submitting strong scores is widely recommended on forums.
Campus Culture & Fit
Engineering students describe their corner of campus as a "mini-campus" with coffee shops, food trucks, and maker spaces — a genuine engineering community.
Students report heavy recruiting by top tech companies, making UIUC CS one of the best pipelines to Silicon Valley, Chicago tech, and finance.
Campus is in a small college town (Champaign-Urbana) — nightlife is limited vs urban flagships, but the campus community is tight-knit.
71% of freshmen are Illinois residents, creating a strong Midwest identity. International student population (14%) adds diversity.
Academic workload in engineering/CS is demanding. Students report a collaborative but intense culture.
Financial Aid Reputation
Illinois Commitment program covers tuition for qualifying in-state families — very generous for low-income students ($3,883 net for <$30K).
OOS tuition (~$35K) is standard, with limited institutional merit aid for OOS students.
Forum consensus: UIUC is an incredible value in-state, especially for CS/engineering graduates who command high starting salaries.
Simulation-Relevant Takeaways
Model overall university rate (42%) for the simulation since it's university-level admissions. The 7% CS rate is program-specific.
In-state preference is significant (~55% IS vs ~35% OOS in RD).
Low yield (27%) reflects that many OOS admits choose other options; in-state yield is likely much higher.