1. [College research](/) 2. / 3. [University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/) 4. / 5. Admissions & selectivity Admissions & selectivity Copy linkPrint brief # University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Acceptance Rate & Admissions Updated October 1, 2026 [Overview](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/)[Cost & aid](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/cost/)[Outcomes](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/outcomes/)Admissions[Majors](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/majors/)[Similar schools](/school/university-of-illinois-urbana-champaign/similar/) **On this page**+ ## What is the acceptance rate at UIUC? UIUC’s reported acceptance rate is 42.4%. **Acceptance rate · Fall 2024** 42.4% Source: College Scorecard · Fall 2024 admissions. Acceptance rates can change from year to year; this figure does not predict the current or next admission cycle. First-year applicants and admitted students · CDS 2025-26 **Applicants** 83,045 **Admitted** 30,384 Source: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Common Data Set 2025-26, C1 · first-time, first-year students. How to interpret the acceptance rate The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign admitted 42.4% of applicants, well below the median of 78.1% for comparable institutions (same type and size). In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 83,045 applicants, 30,384 admitted, and 9,207 enrolled. ## What SAT and ACT scores do enrolled UIUC students report? In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported a middle 50% SAT range of 1390 to 1520 among the 43% of enrolled first-time, first-year students who submitted scores. The ACT middle 50% was 31 to 34, with 14% of enrolled first-time, first-year students submitting. These ranges describe enrolled students who provided scores, not minimum requirements. Applicants with scores between 1390 and 1520 on the SAT or between 31 and 34 on the ACT fall within the middle 50% of enrolled students who submitted scores. Among the 22% of the entering class that reported a high-school rank, 62% placed in the highest tenth of their class and 89% in the highest quarter. The ranges below describe enrolled students who submitted test scores at UIUC. Use them as academic context, then check the university’s current testing policy for your application cycle. **43% of entering students submitted SAT scores** SAT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 1390 **Median** 1442 **75th percentile** 1520 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. **14% of entering students submitted ACT scores** ACT: reported composite scores **25th percentile** 31 **Median** 32 **75th percentile** 34 CDS 2025-26 · enrolled first-year score submitters. This range is not an admission cutoff. Source: University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Common Data Set 2025-26, C9 · Enrolled first-time, first-year score submitters. ## Who enrolls at UIUC? **Pell Grant recipients** 23.4% **Entering students outside the first-time, full-time group** 14.7% **First-year retention** 94.8% 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 Urbana-Champaign enrolls 36,258 undergraduates. 23.4% receive Pell Grants, and an estimated 14.7% enter as transfers or part-time students, so the campus draws from more than one starting point. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported 6,639 degree-seeking transfer applicants, 2,882 admitted, and 1,682 enrolled. The first-year retention rate at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is 94.8%, well above the peer median of 83.1% for comparable institutions. The [six-year graduation rate](/analysis/what-the-graduation-rate-doesnt-count/) for the first-time full-time cohort is 85.1%, also above the peer median of 65.0%. Pell Grant recipients complete at 80.1%, which is below the overall rate by 5.0 percentage points. In its 2025-26 Common Data Set, the university reported a retention rate of 95% 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 86.3%, and the rate for Pell recipients in that cohort was 81.0%, below the overall figure. Enrolled students can expect strong institutional support through the first year and a high likelihood of graduating within six years. The Pell completion rate trails the overall rate, and the university's retention figures suggest that students who start here tend to stay. ## Data & methodology Sources and reporting periods: [methodology](/methodology/). 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/).