Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Dartmouth - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
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 (#55 vs #301-400). 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 Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: a higher world ranking, lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
Choose Dartmouth for: higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings, a higher graduation rate.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Dartmouth is more selective (6.02% vs 42.37% acceptance); Dartmouth has a higher median SAT (1520 vs 1470).
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%).
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
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Dartmouth |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #55 | #301-400 |
| Rank · THE | #46 | - |
| Acceptance rate | 42.37% | 6.02% |
| Yield rate | 28.8% | 70.9% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1520 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 73,742 | 28,230 |
| International students | 14.9% | 14.5% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $81K | $97K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $55K | $65K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $117K | $189K |
| Graduation rate | 85.1% | 95.5% |
| Retention rate | 94.8% | 98% |
| Median debt | $19,500 | $17,500 |
| Tuition · year | $38,400 | $71,525 |
| Avg. aid package | $23,217 | $75,301 |
| % of need met | 0.8% | 100% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $22,395 | $24,255 |
| Application fee | $50 | - |
| Enrollment | 59,238 | 7,273 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Dartmouth?
It's harder to get into Dartmouth. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Dartmouth accepts 6.02%.
Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Dartmouth graduates earn more?
Dartmouth graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $97K vs $81K.
How much is tuition at Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Dartmouth?
Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $71,525 per year at Dartmouth.
What SAT score do you need for Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Dartmouth?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1520 at Dartmouth; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Dartmouth?
Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #301-400 for Dartmouth.
Which university offers more financial aid - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Dartmouth?
The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $75,301 at Dartmouth.
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