University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
University of Rochester
ROCHESTER, NY
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Rochester - 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 Rochester
ROCHESTER
Rochester, NY
World rank · ARWU#151-200
Acceptance40.08%
Median SAT1470
Graduation rate85.4%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$79K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign University of Rochester
#55 World rank · ARWU #151-200
#46 Rank · THE #127
42.37% Acceptance rate 40.08%
1470 Median SAT 1470
85.1% Graduation rate 85.4%
59,238 Enrollment 11,946

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

42.37% Acceptance rate 40.08%
28.8% Yield rate 15.4%
1470 Median SAT 1470
- Avg. GPA 3.72
73,742 Number of applications 21,384
14.9% Int'l students 22.1%
$81K Median earnings · 10 yrs $79K
$55K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $50K
$117K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $117K
85.1% Graduation rate 85.4%
94.8% Retention rate 90.7%
$19,500 Median debt $21,000
$38,400 Tuition · year $70,284
$23,217 Avg. aid package $60,879
0.8% % of need met 96.1%
$22,395 Avg. graduate debt $32,304
$50 Application fee $50
$5,836 Avg. int'l aid $41,269
At a glance
Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads in 6 of 11 measured metrics
% of need0.8% vs 96.1%
Aid$23,217 vs $60,879
Yield28.8% vs 15.4%

The verdict, from the data

The more international environment is at Rochester (22.1% international students) than Illinois Urbana-Champaign (14.9%).

For an applicant from outside the US the difference is financial: Rochester awards international students $41,269 on average, Illinois Urbana-Champaign awards $5,836.

The tuition gap is $31,884 a year: $38,400 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign) against $70,284.

The SAT profile is practically identical (1470 against 1470), so a test score will not tip the balance either way.

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

Rochester is the more selective of the two (40.08% vs 42.37% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#55 vs #151-200). Median earnings 10 years after enrollment are effectively tied ($81K vs $79K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $70,284 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, higher retention.

Choose Rochester for: higher selectivity, a higher graduation rate, a larger aid package.

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

BY THE NUMBERS

Admissions

Rochester is more selective (40.08% vs 42.37% acceptance).

Graduate outcomes

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $79K); Rochester has a higher 6-year graduation rate (85.4% vs 85.1%).

Cost and aid

Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $70,284); Rochester offers a larger average aid package ($60,879 vs $23,217).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Illinois Urbana-Champaign Rochester
World rank · ARWU#55#151-200
Rank · THE#46#127
Acceptance rate42.37%40.08%
Yield rate28.8%15.4%
Median SAT14701470
Avg. GPA-3.72
Number of applications73,74221,384
International students14.9%22.1%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K$79K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$55K$50K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$117K$117K
Graduation rate85.1%85.4%
Retention rate94.8%90.7%
Median debt$19,500$21,000
Tuition · year$38,400$70,284
Avg. aid package$23,217$60,879
% of need met0.8%96.1%
Avg. graduate debt$22,395$32,304
Application fee$50$50
Enrollment59,23811,946

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

It's harder to get into Rochester. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Rochester accepts 40.08%.

Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Rochester graduates earn more?

Earnings are practically equal - 10 years after enrollment, the median is $81K at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $79K at Rochester.

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

Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $70,284 per year at Rochester.

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

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

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

Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #151-200 for Rochester.

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

The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $60,879 at Rochester.

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.