University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
University of Houston
HOUSTON, TX
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Houston - 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
University of Houston
HOUSTON
Houston, TX
World rank · ARWU#201-300
Acceptance73.92%
Median SAT1240
Graduation rate64.6%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$62K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Houston
#55 World rank · ARWU #201-300
#46 Rank · THE -
42.37% Acceptance rate 73.92%
1470 Median SAT 1240
85.1% Graduation rate 64.6%
59,238 Enrollment 47,980

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

42.37% Acceptance rate 73.92%
28.8% Yield rate 26.5%
1470 Median SAT 1240
- Avg. GPA 3.49
73,742 Number of applications 31,716
14.9% Int'l students 5.7%
$81K Median earnings · 10 yrs $62K
$55K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $39K
$117K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $93K
85.1% Graduation rate 64.6%
94.8% Retention rate 87%
$19,500 Median debt $18,194
$38,400 Tuition · year $27,926
$23,217 Avg. aid package $16,450
0.8% % of need met 55.1%
$22,395 Avg. graduate debt $21,819
$50 Application fee $75
$5,836 Avg. int'l aid $4,456
At a glance
Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads in 7 of 11 measured metrics
% of need0.8% vs 55.1%
Acceptance42.37% vs 73.92%
Aid$23,217 vs $16,450

The verdict, from the data

The lower acceptance rate belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: 42.4% against 73.9% (Houston).

The larger international cohort belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: 14.9% of students against 5.7% (Houston).

On paper the cheaper option is Houston: $27,926 against $38,400, which is $10,474 less a year.

The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: $81K against $62K.

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 73.92% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#55 vs #201-300). Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $62K). Houston has lower sticker-price tuition ($27,926 vs $38,400 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.

Choose Houston for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.

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 73.92% acceptance); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1240).

Graduate outcomes

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $62K); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher 6-year graduation rate (85.1% vs 64.6%).

Cost and aid

Houston has lower sticker-price tuition ($27,926 vs $38,400); Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a larger average aid package ($23,217 vs $16,450).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Illinois Urbana-Champaign Houston
World rank · ARWU#55#201-300
Rank · THE#46-
Acceptance rate42.37%73.92%
Yield rate28.8%26.5%
Median SAT14701240
Avg. GPA-3.49
Number of applications73,74231,716
International students14.9%5.7%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K$62K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$55K$39K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$117K$93K
Graduation rate85.1%64.6%
Retention rate94.8%87%
Median debt$19,500$18,194
Tuition · year$38,400$27,926
Avg. aid package$23,217$16,450
% of need met0.8%55.1%
Avg. graduate debt$22,395$21,819
Application fee$50$75
Enrollment59,23847,980

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

It's harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Houston accepts 73.92%.

Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Houston graduates earn more?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $81K vs $62K.

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

Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $27,926 per year at Houston.

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

The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1240 at Houston; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

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

Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #201-300 for Houston.

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

The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $16,450 at Houston.

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.