1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Illinois Chicago](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # University of Illinois Chicago Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated September 30, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at UIC? UIC admitted 22,674 of 29,929 first-year applicants for Fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 75.8%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2025** 75.8% **Applicants** 29,929 **Admitted** 22,674 **Enrolled** 5,405 Source: [UIC Common Data Set 2025–26, C1](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=14) · Fall 2025 first-year admissions. Rate calculated from applicants and admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. How to interpret the acceptance rate University of Illinois Chicago admits 77.3% of applicants, a rate that sits near the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 29,929 applicants, 22,674 admitted, and 5,405 enrolled first-year students. ## What does UIC consider in an application? UIC identifies course rigor, class rank and academic GPA as very important in its CDS response, with the application essay marked important. Standardized test scores and recommendations are marked considered. The table distinguishes the school’s reported emphasis on the academic record from the other information it reviews. Read these priorities alongside the enrolled-student profiles: GPA, rank and test results describe the students who enrolled, while the factor table describes UIC’s stated review criteria. These categories do not translate into a point system or a formula for admission. Check the current requirements for your program and application cycle before deciding what to submit. ### Very important - Course rigor - Class rank - Academic GPA ### Important - Application essay ### Considered - Standardized tests - Recommendations - Extracurricular activities - Talent/ability ### Not considered - Interview - Character/personal qualities - First generation - Alumni relation - Geographical residence - State residency - Religious affiliation - Volunteer work - Work experience - Applicant interest [\[2\] Source and notes](#cds-note-admission-factors) [Read UIC’s current first-year requirements](https://admissions.uic.edu/undergraduate/requirements-deadlines/first-year-requirements) ## What does UIC require—and what does it recommend? ### First-year applications **Required:** Common Application with UIC-specific questions and essays, official high-school transcripts, and the $70 fee or an eligible domestic fee waiver. **Recommended preparation:** four years of math and science for STEM applicants. Program supplements and international requirements may apply. [Check first-year requirements](https://admissions.uic.edu/undergraduate/requirements-deadlines/first-year-requirements) ### Transfer applications **Required:** UIC’s application, fee or eligible waiver, and official transcripts from every college attended. Program guides specify credit and prerequisite requirements. **Encouraged where relevant:** test reports that may satisfy prerequisite credit. Supplemental essays, recommendations and other documents depend on the program. [Check transfer requirements and program guides](https://admissions.uic.edu/undergraduate/requirements-deadlines/transfer-requirements) Checked September 14, 2026. These summaries use UIC’s current admissions pages. The transfer page describes additional high-school transcript requirements using different credit thresholds at application and enrollment; check that section directly for your circumstances. ## When are UIC applications due? Choose the deadline for your term and applicant type. UIC says applications must include all documentation by the deadline; online programs may have different dates. Current UIC admissions deadlines · checked September 14, 2026 | Application route | Deadline | | --- | --- | | Spring 2027 · first year | October 1, 2026 | | Fall 2027 · first-year early action | November 2, 2026 | | Fall 2027 · first-year regular decision | February 1, 2027 | | Spring 2027 · transfer | October 15, 2026 | | Fall 2027 · transfer nursing | January 15, 2027 | | Fall 2027 · transfer general | April 1, 2027 | [Confirm your deadline on UIC’s official admissions page](https://admissions.uic.edu/undergraduate/requirements-deadlines). These current-cycle dates are separate from historical dates in the CDS. ## What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled UIC students report? Among Fall 2025 entering students who submitted each test, the middle half scored 1,030–1,300 on the SAT and 24–31 on the ACT. UIC reports SAT scores for 47% of the class and ACT scores for 4%. The SAT profile therefore covers a much larger group than the ACT profile, and neither represents the whole entering class. Read these scores alongside the GPA and class-rank profiles to see several aspects of enrolled students’ academic preparation. The separate testing-policy section explains what UIC asks of applicants in the current cycle; this historical score distribution cannot tell you whether submitting a particular score would improve your application. **2,518 students submitted SAT** · 47% of entering students. SAT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 1030 **Median** 1170 **75th percentile** 1300 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. **226 students submitted ACT** · 4% of entering students. ACT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 24 **Median** 27 **75th percentile** 31 Enrolled students who submitted scores. This range is not an admission cutoff. [\[1\] Source and notes](#cds-note-admissions) [Read UIC’s current testing policy](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/admissions/#uic-test-policy) Does UIC require SAT or ACT scores? · 2027 testing policy For the 2027 undergraduate admission cycle, UIC considers submitted SAT or ACT scores only when they strengthen the application. Applicants without scores receive full consideration, including review for merit scholarships, Honors College and GPPA. UIC does not use self-reported scores or superscore reports. Follow the school’s instructions for submitting a score report. [UIC’s 2027 test-optional policy](https://admissions.uic.edu/undergraduate/requirements-deadlines/first-year-requirements/test-optional-faq) · checked September 14, 2026. The CDS score distributions describe Fall 2025 enrolled students. ## Where did UIC students rank in high school? Among students with reported class rank, 88% were in the top half of their high-school class, 52% in the top quarter and 23% in the top tenth. Rank was reported for 36% of the entering class, compared with GPA coverage of 98.61%. The rank widget therefore describes a smaller slice of the class than the GPA profile. It adds context about standing within a high school, but it cannot tell you where the students without reported rank would fall. Class rank · students who reported rank **Top tenth** 23.0% **Top quarter** 52.0% **Top half** 88.0% **Bottom half** 12.0% **Bottom quarter** 1.0% Rank reported for 36% of the entering class. These groups overlap and should not be added. [\[3\] Source and notes](#cds-note-class-rank) ## What high-school GPAs do enrolled UIC students report? UIC reports an average high-school GPA of 3.45, with GPA available for 98.61% of entering students. The distribution gives more context than the average alone: students are spread across several GPA bands, so 3.45 should not be read as a minimum required GPA. You can also compare the separately reported profiles of students who submitted test scores and those who did not. These views describe the grades of students who enrolled in each group. They do not include the corresponding applicant pools, so differences between the columns cannot establish an admissions advantage from submitting scores. Choose the reported student groupAll students with reported GPAStudents who submitted test scoresStudents who did not submit test scores High-school GPA · All students with reported GPA **4.0** 3.8% **3.75–3.99** 21.0% **3.50–3.74** 23.7% **3.25–3.49** 22.1% **3.00–3.24** 18.5% **2.50–2.99** 10.7% **2.00–2.49** 0.2% **1.00–1.99** 0.0% **Below 1.0** 0.0% Reported column total: 100%. Values retain the source’s rounding. [\[4\] Source and notes](#cds-note-gpa-profile) ## Who enrolls at UIC? **Pell Grant recipients** 48.9% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 33.4% **First-year retention** 80.2% Retention source: College Scorecard; full-time first-year retention. About these student measures The entering-student group includes part-time entrants as well as other attendance patterns. The University of Illinois Chicago enrolls 22,170 undergraduates, with an estimated 33.4% of students entering as transfers or part-time students and 48.9% receiving Pell Grants. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 29,929 first-year applicants, 22,674 admitted, and 5,405 enrolled. The university rates academic GPA, class rank and course rigor as very important in admission decisions, and the application essay as important. For transfer applicants, UIC received 7,109 applications, admitted 3,923, and enrolled 2,450, with a minimum college GPA of 2.50. The student body reflects broad access: nearly half of undergraduates receive Pell Grants, and the estimated transfer-in share is about one-third. Pell-eligible and transfer applicants should treat UIC as a realistic destination where their profile fits the enrolled community. Among first-time full-time students, the [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) is 61.6%, which sits below the peer median of 65.0% for comparable institutions. The first-year retention rate is 80.2%, also below the peer median of 83.1%. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, UIC reported a retention rate of 83% for the first-time, full-time fall 2024 entering class. For the first-time, full-time fall 2019 entering class, the six-year graduation rate was 61.5%, with Pell recipients in that cohort completing at a rate of 57.8%, below the overall rate. Pell Grant recipients complete at a rate of 66.5%, which is above the overall six-year rate. Enrolled students can expect a campus where Pell students graduate at a higher clip than the student body as a whole, though overall retention and completion trail peer medians. ## How many transfer applicants enter UIC? UIC reports 7,109 transfer applicants, 3,923 admitted transfer applicants and 2,450 enrolled transfers for Fall 2025. The three counts show how the applicant group narrows between applying, receiving an offer and enrolling. They also give transfer students a separate point of reference from the first-year admission figures. For your own application, the next step is to check the intended program’s transfer guide against your completed courses and credits. UIC’s current transfer guidance distinguishes required materials from recommendations. The historical counts provide context for that route into UIC, but do not show how applicants with your particular coursework were evaluated. Fall 2025 transfers · institution-reported figures | Measure | Reported value | | --- | --- | | Transfer applicants | 7,109 | | Admitted transfer applicants | 3,923 | | Enrolled transfers | 2,450 | [\[5\] Source and notes](#cds-note-transfers) [UIC’s current transfer requirements and program guides](https://admissions.uic.edu/undergraduate/requirements-deadlines/transfer-requirements) ## Data & methodology This brief combines [U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard](https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/data/) data with UIC’s [2025–26 Common Data Set](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf), checked September 10, 2026. The CDS is an official, institution-reported source, but it can contain errors. We retain reported values and flag identified inconsistencies rather than silently correcting them. [Explore the complete UIC CDS guide](/school/university-of-illinois-chicago/common-data-set/). Analysis and methodology by [Daniel Rogers](/about/#founder), founder of College Azimuth. Explanatory text is AI-assisted drafting checked against those figures; it is not an additional data source. Admission rates describe past applicants, not an individual’s chance of admission; confirm requirements and deadlines with the institution. Figure notes link to sources and limitations. [About College Azimuth](/about/). **[\[1\]](#cds-ref-admissions) What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled UIC students report?** Fall 2025. Enrolled first-time, first-year degree-seeking students who submitted the respective test; full-time and part-time students included. These are directly reported composite percentiles. SAT and ACT submission groups can overlap. Scores describe enrolled submitters, not admission cutoffs or individual chances. [CDS C9, p. 19](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=19). [Return to figure](#cds-ref-admissions) **[\[2\]](#cds-ref-admission-factors) What does UIC consider in an application?** UIC’s 2025–26 Common Data Set describes priorities for general first-year, degree-seeking admission. These are qualitative categories rather than numeric weights, and individual programs can use additional criteria. [CDS C7, p. 16](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=16). [Return to figure](#cds-ref-admission-factors) **[\[3\]](#cds-ref-class-rank) Where did UIC students rank in high school?** Fall 2025 entering class. First-time, first-year degree-seeking students who reported high-school class rank. The top tenth is included in the top quarter and top half. Select one threshold at a time; these overlapping groups should not be added. The reporting share uses the entire entering class, while the rank thresholds use only rank reporters. [CDS C10, p. 21](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=21). [Return to figure](#cds-ref-class-rank) **[\[4\]](#cds-ref-gpa-profile) What high-school GPAs do enrolled UIC students report?** Fall 2025 entering class. First-time, first-year degree-seeking students with reported high-school GPA. The test-submitter and non-submitter columns total 99% and 101% as reported, consistent with rounded percentages. Values are preserved without normalization. These enrolled-student distributions do not show how submitting a score changes admission chances. [CDS C12, p. 21](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=21); [CDS C11, p. 21](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=21). [Return to figure](#cds-ref-gpa-profile) **[\[5\]](#cds-ref-transfers) How many transfer applicants enter UIC?** Fall 2025 transfers. Degree-seeking transfer applicants, admitted applicants and enrolled students. Counts describe the reported cohort, not an individual admission probability. For a current application, use UIC’s transfer requirements and program guides; historical CDS requirement categories can differ from current instructions. [CDS D2, p. 24](https://oir.uic.edu/wp-content/uploads/sites/213/2026/06/CDS_Final_2025_26.pdf#page=24). [Return to figure](#cds-ref-transfers)