How this school serves students from different economic backgrounds, including Pell students, first-generation pathways, and long-term mobility outcomes.
University of Illinois Chicago admits about 77.3% of applicants. Among enrolled undergraduates, 48.9% receive Pell Grants and 44.4% are first-generation college students — one of the highest concentrations of both groups among nonprofit four-year institutions. Transfer enrollment is substantial, at 33.4%, reflecting the university's role as a destination for students restarting or accelerating their academic path. The institution's scholarship infrastructure includes named programs through Student Financial Aid and Scholarships and a dedicated Scholarships and Awards portal, alongside student employment opportunities, per the financial aid page. Azimuth ranks University of Illinois Chicago #74 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. That standing reflects both the breadth of the admission funnel and the scale at which the university enrolls students from Pell-eligible and first-generation backgrounds. Freshman retention is 80.2%, and the six-year graduation rate is 61.6%, with 66.5% of Pell-eligible students completing within the same window. Azimuth ranks University of Illinois Chicago #24 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Median earnings for low-income graduates are $62,400 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 86.6 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a figure that carries particular weight given that nearly half of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, meaning the cohort behind that median is large. As Azimuth's Illinois data analysis explores, the mobility ranking reflects two factors: a large share of the student body begins from Pell-eligible and first-generation backgrounds, and graduates consistently outperform earnings expectations relative to similar students at comparable institutions.
University of Illinois Chicago admits about 77.3% of applicants. Among enrolled undergraduates, 48.9% receive Pell Grants and 44.4% are first-generation college students — one of the highest concentrations of both groups among nonprofit four-year institutions. Transfer enrollment is substantial, at 33.4%, reflecting the university's role as a destination for students restarting or accelerating their academic path. The institution's scholarship infrastructure includes named programs through Student Financial Aid and Scholarships and a dedicated Scholarships and Awards portal, alongside student employment opportunities, per the financial aid page. Azimuth ranks University of Illinois Chicago #74 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. That standing reflects both the breadth of the admission funnel and the scale at which the university enrolls students from Pell-eligible and first-generation backgrounds. Freshman retention is 80.2%, and the six-year graduation rate is 61.6%, with 66.5% of Pell-eligible students completing within the same window. Azimuth ranks University of Illinois Chicago #24 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Median earnings for low-income graduates are $62,400 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 86.6 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a figure that carries particular weight given that nearly half of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, meaning the cohort behind that median is large. As Azimuth's Illinois data analysis explores, the mobility ranking reflects two factors: a large share of the student body begins from Pell-eligible and first-generation backgrounds, and graduates consistently outperform earnings expectations relative to similar students at comparable institutions.
University of Illinois Chicago admits about 77.3% of applicants. Among enrolled undergraduates, 48.9% receive Pell Grants and 44.4% are first-generation college students — one of the highest concentrations of both groups among nonprofit four-year institutions. Transfer enrollment is substantial, at 33.4%, reflecting the university's role as a destination for students restarting or accelerating their academic path. The institution's scholarship infrastructure includes named programs through Student Financial Aid and Scholarships and a dedicated Scholarships and Awards portal, alongside student employment opportunities, per the financial aid page. Azimuth ranks University of Illinois Chicago #74 for access among nonprofit four-year institutions. That standing reflects both the breadth of the admission funnel and the scale at which the university enrolls students from Pell-eligible and first-generation backgrounds. Freshman retention is 80.2%, and the six-year graduation rate is 61.6%, with 66.5% of Pell-eligible students completing within the same window. Azimuth ranks University of Illinois Chicago #24 for mobility among nonprofit four-year institutions. Median earnings for low-income graduates are $62,400 on a historical ten-year Scorecard measure, placing this cohort in the 86.6 percentile for low-income graduate earnings among nonprofit four-year institutions — a figure that carries particular weight given that nearly half of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, meaning the cohort behind that median is large. As Azimuth's Illinois data analysis explores, the mobility ranking reflects two factors: a large share of the student body begins from Pell-eligible and first-generation backgrounds, and graduates consistently outperform earnings expectations relative to similar students at comparable institutions.
