University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
Stony Brook University
STONY BROOK, NY
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Stony Brook - 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
Stony Brook University
STONY BROOK
Stony Brook, NY
World rank · ARWU#301-400
Acceptance49.04%
Median SAT1410
Graduation rate75.6%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$75K
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Stony Brook University
#55 World rank · ARWU #301-400
#46 Rank · THE -
42.37% Acceptance rate 49.04%
1470 Median SAT 1410
85.1% Graduation rate 75.6%
59,238 Enrollment 26,689

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

42.37% Acceptance rate 49.04%
28.8% Yield rate 14.7%
1470 Median SAT 1410
- Avg. GPA -
73,742 Number of applications 55,880
14.9% Int'l students 10.2%
$81K Median earnings · 10 yrs $75K
$55K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $49K
$117K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $107K
85.1% Graduation rate 75.6%
94.8% Retention rate 89.7%
$19,500 Median debt $18,228
$38,400 Tuition · year $32,741
$23,217 Avg. aid package $15,261
0.8% % of need met 0.6%
$22,395 Avg. graduate debt $23,558
$50 Application fee -
$5,836 Avg. int'l aid $2,834
At a glance
Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads in 9 of 11 measured metrics
Yield28.8% vs 14.7%
Aid$23,217 vs $15,261
% of need0.8% vs 0.6%

The verdict, from the data

The one that looks dearer ends up cheaper: Illinois Urbana-Champaign lists $57,284 against $55,085 (Stony Brook), but after average aid what remains is $34,067 against $39,824.

The higher median salary ten years after enrolment belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: $81K against $75K.

60 points separate the SAT profiles: 1470 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign) against 1410.

Students admitted to both more often choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign (28.8% enrol, against 14.7%).

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 49.04% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#55 vs #301-400). Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $75K). Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 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 Stony Brook 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 49.04% acceptance); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1410).

Graduate outcomes

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $75K); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher 6-year graduation rate (85.1% vs 75.6%).

Cost and aid

Stony Brook has lower sticker-price tuition ($32,741 vs $38,400); Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a larger average aid package ($23,217 vs $15,261).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Illinois Urbana-Champaign Stony Brook
World rank · ARWU#55#301-400
Rank · THE#46-
Acceptance rate42.37%49.04%
Yield rate28.8%14.7%
Median SAT14701410
Avg. GPA--
Number of applications73,74255,880
International students14.9%10.2%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$81K$75K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$55K$49K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$117K$107K
Graduation rate85.1%75.6%
Retention rate94.8%89.7%
Median debt$19,500$18,228
Tuition · year$38,400$32,741
Avg. aid package$23,217$15,261
% of need met0.8%0.6%
Avg. graduate debt$22,395$23,558
Application fee$50-
Enrollment59,23826,689

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

It's harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Stony Brook accepts 49.04%.

Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Stony Brook graduates earn more?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $81K vs $75K.

How much is tuition at Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Stony Brook?

Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $32,741 per year at Stony Brook.

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

The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1410 at Stony Brook; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

Which university ranks higher - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Stony Brook?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #301-400 for Stony Brook.

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

The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $15,261 at Stony Brook.

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.