Dartmouth College
HANOVER, NEW HAMPSHIRE
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Dartmouth vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign - US university comparison

Dartmouth College
DARTMOUTH
Hanover, New Hampshire
World rank · ARWU#301-400
Acceptance6.02%
Median SAT1520
Graduation rate95.5%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$97K
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

Dartmouth College University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
#301-400 World rank · ARWU #55
- Rank · THE #46
6.02% Acceptance rate 42.37%
1520 Median SAT 1470
95.5% Graduation rate 85.1%
7,273 Enrollment 59,238

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

6.02% Acceptance rate 42.37%
70.9% Yield rate 28.8%
1520 Median SAT 1470
- Avg. GPA -
28,230 Number of applications 73,742
14.5% Int'l students 14.9%
$97K Median earnings · 10 yrs $81K
$65K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $55K
$189K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $117K
95.5% Graduation rate 85.1%
98% Retention rate 94.8%
$17,500 Median debt $19,500
$71,525 Tuition · year $38,400
$75,301 Avg. aid package $23,217
100% % of need met 0.8%
$24,255 Avg. graduate debt $22,395
- Application fee $50
$87,562 Avg. int'l aid $5,836
At a glance
Dartmouth leads in 9 of 11 measured metrics
% of need100% vs 0.8%
Acceptance6.02% vs 42.37%
Aid$75,301 vs $23,217

The verdict, from the data

The lower acceptance rate belongs to Dartmouth: 6% against 42.4% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

Real money goes to international students at Dartmouth ($87,562 on average), while Illinois Urbana-Champaign stops at $5,836.

The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Dartmouth starts at $96,098 against $57,284 and ends at $20,797 against $34,067 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Dartmouth: $97K against $81K.

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

Dartmouth is the more selective of the two (6.02% vs 42.37% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#301-400 vs #55). Dartmouth graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($97K vs $81K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $71,525 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 Dartmouth for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.

Choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: a higher world ranking, lower tuition, lower graduate debt.

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

BY THE NUMBERS

Admissions

Dartmouth is more selective (6.02% vs 42.37% acceptance); Dartmouth has a higher median SAT (1520 vs 1470).

Graduate outcomes

Dartmouth graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($97K vs $81K); Dartmouth has a higher 6-year graduation rate (95.5% vs 85.1%).

Cost and aid

Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $71,525); Dartmouth offers a larger average aid package ($75,301 vs $23,217).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Dartmouth Illinois Urbana-Champaign
World rank · ARWU#301-400#55
Rank · THE-#46
Acceptance rate6.02%42.37%
Yield rate70.9%28.8%
Median SAT15201470
Avg. GPA--
Number of applications28,23073,742
International students14.5%14.9%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$97K$81K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$65K$55K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$189K$117K
Graduation rate95.5%85.1%
Retention rate98%94.8%
Median debt$17,500$19,500
Tuition · year$71,525$38,400
Avg. aid package$75,301$23,217
% of need met100%0.8%
Avg. graduate debt$24,255$22,395
Application fee-$50
Enrollment7,27359,238

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

It's harder to get into Dartmouth. Dartmouth accepts 6.02% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37%.

Do Dartmouth or Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more?

Dartmouth graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $97K vs $81K.

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

Sticker-price tuition is $71,525 per year at Dartmouth and $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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

The median admitted SAT score is 1520 at Dartmouth and 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

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

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

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

The average aid package is $75,301 at Dartmouth and $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Compare Dartmouth 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.