University of Connecticut
STORRS, CT
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Connecticut vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign - US university comparison

University of Connecticut
CONNECTICUT
Storrs, CT
World rank · ARWU#301-400
Acceptance52.39%
Median SAT1340
Graduation rate83.3%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$74K
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
ILLINOIS URBANA-CHAMPAIGN
Champaign, Illinois
World rank · ARWU#55
Acceptance42.37%
Median SAT1470
Graduation rate85.1%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

University of Connecticut University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
#301-400 World rank · ARWU #55
- Rank · THE #46
52.39% Acceptance rate 42.37%
1340 Median SAT 1470
83.3% Graduation rate 85.1%
28,306 Enrollment 59,238

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

52.39% Acceptance rate 42.37%
15.4% Yield rate 28.8%
1340 Median SAT 1470
- Avg. GPA -
55,479 Number of applications 73,742
7.4% Int'l students 14.9%
$74K Median earnings · 10 yrs $81K
$50K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $55K
$109K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $117K
83.3% Graduation rate 85.1%
92% Retention rate 94.8%
$21,500 Median debt $19,500
$44,004 Tuition · year $38,400
$21,535 Avg. aid package $23,217
61.6% % of need met 0.8%
$28,506 Avg. graduate debt $22,395
$80 Application fee $50
$17,282 Avg. int'l aid $5,836
At a glance
Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads in 10 of 11 measured metrics
% of need61.6% vs 0.8%
Yield15.4% vs 28.8%
Grad. debt$28,506 vs $22,395

The verdict, from the data

Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42.4% of applicants, while Connecticut admits 52.4%.

The share of international students differs sharply: 14.9% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign) against 7.4% (Connecticut).

Real money goes to international students at Connecticut ($17,282 on average), while Illinois Urbana-Champaign stops at $5,836.

On both axes at once the winner is Illinois Urbana-Champaign: lower tuition ($38,400 against $44,004) and a higher median salary ($81K against $74K, Connecticut).

None of these figures decides on its own; what decides is which course you want to be on, and on what budget.

Every sentence above comes from a field we hold in canonical. Where the data is missing, or the gap is small enough to be noise, the sentence simply does not appear.

EXPERT TAKE

Illinois Urbana-Champaign is the more selective of the two (42.37% vs 52.39% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#301-400 vs #55). Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $74K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $44,004 per year).

Both universities have complete, comparable data in canonical - the choice should come down to fit (campus culture, major, aid package) alongside the differences visible in the numbers below.

Choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.

College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.

BY THE NUMBERS

Admissions

Illinois Urbana-Champaign is more selective (42.37% vs 52.39% acceptance); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1340).

Graduate outcomes

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $74K); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher 6-year graduation rate (85.1% vs 83.3%).

Cost and aid

Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $44,004); Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a larger average aid package ($23,217 vs $21,535).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

$35k$76k$117k$158k$11k$35k$59k$83kConnecticutIllinois Urbana-Champaign TUITION · YEAR → MEDIAN EARNINGS · 10 YRS →
Each dot is a comparable US university; Connecticut and Illinois Urbana-Champaign highlighted. Up and to the left = better value ratio.

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Connecticut Illinois Urbana-Champaign
World rank · ARWU#301-400#55
Rank · THE-#46
Acceptance rate52.39%42.37%
Yield rate15.4%28.8%
Median SAT13401470
Avg. GPA--
Number of applications55,47973,742
International students7.4%14.9%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$74K$81K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$50K$55K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$109K$117K
Graduation rate83.3%85.1%
Retention rate92%94.8%
Median debt$21,500$19,500
Tuition · year$44,004$38,400
Avg. aid package$21,535$23,217
% of need met61.6%0.8%
Avg. graduate debt$28,506$22,395
Application fee$80$50
Enrollment28,30659,238

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it harder to get into Connecticut or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

It's harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Connecticut accepts 52.39% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37%.

Do Connecticut or Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $81K vs $74K.

How much is tuition at Connecticut vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

Sticker-price tuition is $44,004 per year at Connecticut and $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

What SAT score do you need for Connecticut or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

The median admitted SAT score is 1340 at Connecticut and 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

Which university ranks higher - Connecticut or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #301-400 for Connecticut vs #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Which university offers more financial aid - Connecticut or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

The average aid package is $21,535 at Connecticut and $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Compare Connecticut with
Harvard Stanford Massachusetts Institute of Technology Princeton Yale Cornell Penn Johns Hopkins Washington University Northwestern
Highest-ranked in ARWU. Click "↻ Change university" in the cards above to choose from all 47 universities (+35).
All metrics come 100% from College Council Atlas (canonical) - admissions, SAT, GPA, graduate outcomes, financial aid and costs from IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25; rankings from ARWU 2024 and THE 2025. Zero manual fields. "-" = not yet in canonical.