University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
Emory University
ATLANTA, GA
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Emory - US university comparison

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
Emory University
EMORY
Atlanta, GA
World rank · ARWU#101-150
Acceptance10.29%
Median SAT1510
Graduation rate91.1%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$80K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Emory University
#55 World rank · ARWU #101-150
#46 Rank · THE -
42.37% Acceptance rate 10.29%
1470 Median SAT 1510
85.1% Graduation rate 91.1%
59,238 Enrollment 15,179

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

42.37% Acceptance rate 10.29%
28.8% Yield rate 40.4%
1470 Median SAT 1510
- Avg. GPA 3.84
73,742 Number of applications 34,614
14.9% Int'l students 16.7%
$81K Median earnings · 10 yrs $80K
$55K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $58K
$117K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $120K
85.1% Graduation rate 91.1%
94.8% Retention rate 96%
$19,500 Median debt $18,250
$38,400 Tuition · year $68,056
$23,217 Avg. aid package $67,329
0.8% % of need met 99.9%
$22,395 Avg. graduate debt $24,562
$50 Application fee $75
$5,836 Avg. int'l aid $54,457
At a glance
Emory leads in 8 of 11 measured metrics
% of need0.8% vs 99.9%
Acceptance42.37% vs 10.29%
Aid$23,217 vs $67,329

The verdict, from the data

The lower acceptance rate belongs to Emory: 10.3% against 42.4% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

Average aid for an international student is $54,457 (Emory) and $5,836 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Emory starts at $90,574 against $57,284 and ends at $23,245 against $34,067 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

Candidates with higher SAT scores go to Emory: a midpoint of 1510 against 1470, a difference of 40 points.

These numbers describe the cohorts already enrolled, not your chances; treat them as a starting point rather than a forecast.

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

Emory is the more selective of the two (10.29% vs 42.37% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#55 vs #101-150). Median earnings 10 years after enrollment are effectively tied ($81K vs $80K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $68,056 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 graduate earnings, lower tuition.

Choose Emory for: higher selectivity, a higher graduation rate, higher retention.

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

BY THE NUMBERS

Admissions

Emory is more selective (10.29% vs 42.37% acceptance); Emory has a higher median SAT (1510 vs 1470).

Graduate outcomes

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $80K); Emory has a higher 6-year graduation rate (91.1% vs 85.1%).

Cost and aid

Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $68,056); Emory offers a larger average aid package ($67,329 vs $23,217).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Illinois Urbana-Champaign Emory
World rank · ARWU#55#101-150
Rank · THE#46-
Acceptance rate42.37%10.29%
Yield rate28.8%40.4%
Median SAT14701510
Avg. GPA-3.84
Number of applications73,74234,614
International students14.9%16.7%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K$80K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$55K$58K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$117K$120K
Graduation rate85.1%91.1%
Retention rate94.8%96%
Median debt$19,500$18,250
Tuition · year$38,400$68,056
Avg. aid package$23,217$67,329
% of need met0.8%99.9%
Avg. graduate debt$22,395$24,562
Application fee$50$75
Enrollment59,23815,179

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

It's harder to get into Emory. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Emory accepts 10.29%.

Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Emory graduates earn more?

Earnings are practically equal - 10 years after enrollment, the median is $81K at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $80K at Emory.

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

Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $68,056 per year at Emory.

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

The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1510 at Emory; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

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

Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #101-150 for Emory.

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

The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $67,329 at Emory.

Compare Illinois Urbana-Champaign 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.