University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
Northeastern University
BOSTON, MA
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Northeastern - 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
Northeastern University
NORTHEASTERN
Boston, MA
World rank · ARWU#201-300
Acceptance5.2%
Median SAT1490
Graduation rate90.5%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$93K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Northeastern University
#55 World rank · ARWU #201-300
#46 Rank · THE -
42.37% Acceptance rate 5.2%
1470 Median SAT 1490
85.1% Graduation rate 90.5%
59,238 Enrollment 39,774

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

42.37% Acceptance rate 5.2%
28.8% Yield rate 53.8%
1470 Median SAT 1490
- Avg. GPA -
73,742 Number of applications 98,425
14.9% Int'l students 13.1%
$81K Median earnings · 10 yrs $93K
$55K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $62K
$117K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $135K
85.1% Graduation rate 90.5%
94.8% Retention rate 96.9%
$19,500 Median debt $24,250
$38,400 Tuition · year $69,289
$23,217 Avg. aid package $46,555
0.8% % of need met 86.7%
$22,395 Avg. graduate debt $32,461
$50 Application fee $75
$5,836 Avg. int'l aid $24,539
At a glance
Northeastern leads in 8 of 11 measured metrics
% of need0.8% vs 86.7%
Acceptance42.37% vs 5.2%
Aid$23,217 vs $46,555

The verdict, from the data

Northeastern admits 5.2% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42.4%.

Real money goes to international students at Northeastern ($24,539 on average), while Illinois Urbana-Champaign stops at $5,836.

On paper the cheaper option is Illinois Urbana-Champaign: $38,400 against $69,289, which is $30,889 less a year.

Ten years on, graduates of Northeastern earn noticeably more: $93K against $81K.

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

Northeastern is the more selective of the two (5.2% vs 42.37% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#55 vs #201-300). Northeastern graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($93K vs $81K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $69,289 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 Northeastern 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

Admissions

Northeastern is more selective (5.2% vs 42.37% acceptance); Northeastern has a higher median SAT (1490 vs 1470).

Graduate outcomes

Northeastern graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($93K vs $81K); Northeastern has a higher 6-year graduation rate (90.5% vs 85.1%).

Cost and aid

Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $69,289); Northeastern offers a larger average aid package ($46,555 vs $23,217).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Illinois Urbana-Champaign Northeastern
World rank · ARWU#55#201-300
Rank · THE#46-
Acceptance rate42.37%5.2%
Yield rate28.8%53.8%
Median SAT14701490
Avg. GPA--
Number of applications73,74298,425
International students14.9%13.1%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K$93K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$55K$62K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$117K$135K
Graduation rate85.1%90.5%
Retention rate94.8%96.9%
Median debt$19,500$24,250
Tuition · year$38,400$69,289
Avg. aid package$23,217$46,555
% of need met0.8%86.7%
Avg. graduate debt$22,395$32,461
Application fee$50$75
Enrollment59,23839,774

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

It's harder to get into Northeastern. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Northeastern accepts 5.2%.

Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Northeastern graduates earn more?

Northeastern graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $93K vs $81K.

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

Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $69,289 per year at Northeastern.

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

The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1490 at Northeastern; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

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

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

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

The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $46,555 at Northeastern.

Compare Illinois Urbana-Champaign with
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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.