University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
Kansas State University
MANHATTAN, KS
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Kansas State - 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
Kansas State University
KANSAS STATE
Manhattan, KS
World rank · ARWU#501-600
Acceptance82%
Median SAT1150
Graduation rate71.1%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$57K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Kansas State University
#55 World rank · ARWU #501-600
#46 Rank · THE -
42.37% Acceptance rate 82%
1470 Median SAT 1150
85.1% Graduation rate 71.1%
59,238 Enrollment 20,295

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

42.37% Acceptance rate 82%
28.8% Yield rate 27.5%
1470 Median SAT 1150
- Avg. GPA 3.81
73,742 Number of applications 15,432
14.9% Int'l students 1.7%
$81K Median earnings · 10 yrs $57K
$55K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $39K
$117K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $83K
85.1% Graduation rate 71.1%
94.8% Retention rate 85.6%
$19,500 Median debt $21,250
$38,400 Tuition · year $28,568
$23,217 Avg. aid package $15,968
0.8% % of need met 77%
$22,395 Avg. graduate debt $25,179
$50 Application fee $40
$5,836 Avg. int'l aid $5,729
At a glance
Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads in 9 of 11 measured metrics
% of need0.8% vs 77%
Acceptance42.37% vs 82%
Aid$23,217 vs $15,968

The verdict, from the data

A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42.4%, Kansas State admits 82%.

The share of international students differs sharply: 14.9% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign) against 1.7% (Kansas State).

The cheaper tuition belongs to Kansas State: $28,568 against $38,400, or $9,832 less a year.

The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: $81K against $57K.

The indicators describe a university as a whole, and your own course can sit a long way from that average.

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 82% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#55 vs #501-600). Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $57K). Kansas State has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,568 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 Kansas State for: lower tuition.

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 82% acceptance); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1150).

Graduate outcomes

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $57K); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher 6-year graduation rate (85.1% vs 71.1%).

Cost and aid

Kansas State has lower sticker-price tuition ($28,568 vs $38,400); Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a larger average aid package ($23,217 vs $15,968).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Illinois Urbana-Champaign Kansas State
World rank · ARWU#55#501-600
Rank · THE#46-
Acceptance rate42.37%82%
Yield rate28.8%27.5%
Median SAT14701150
Avg. GPA-3.81
Number of applications73,74215,432
International students14.9%1.7%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K$57K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$55K$39K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$117K$83K
Graduation rate85.1%71.1%
Retention rate94.8%85.6%
Median debt$19,500$21,250
Tuition · year$38,400$28,568
Avg. aid package$23,217$15,968
% of need met0.8%77%
Avg. graduate debt$22,395$25,179
Application fee$50$40
Enrollment59,23820,295

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

It's harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Kansas State accepts 82%.

Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Kansas State graduates earn more?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $81K vs $57K.

How much is tuition at Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Kansas State?

Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $28,568 per year at Kansas State.

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

The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1150 at Kansas State; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

Which university ranks higher - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Kansas State?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #501-600 for Kansas State.

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

The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $15,968 at Kansas State.

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.