Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Toledo - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The lower acceptance rate belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: 42.4% against 92% (Toledo).
The larger international cohort belongs to Illinois Urbana-Champaign: 14.9% of students against 8% (Toledo).
The cheaper tuition belongs to Toledo: $20,164 against $38,400, or $18,236 less a year.
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Illinois Urbana-Champaign: $81K against $51K.
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 92% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#55 vs #601-700). Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $51K). Toledo has lower sticker-price tuition ($20,164 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 Toledo for: lower tuition.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Illinois Urbana-Champaign is more selective (42.37% vs 92% acceptance); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1235).
Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $51K); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher 6-year graduation rate (85.1% vs 57%).
Toledo has lower sticker-price tuition ($20,164 vs $38,400); Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a larger average aid package ($23,217 vs $14,444).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Illinois Urbana-Champaign | Toledo |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #55 | #601-700 |
| Rank · THE | #46 | - |
| Acceptance rate | 42.37% | 92% |
| Yield rate | 28.8% | 18.8% |
| Median SAT | 1470 | 1235 |
| Avg. GPA | - | - |
| Number of applications | 73,742 | 11,067 |
| International students | 14.9% | 8% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $81K | $51K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $55K | $31K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $117K | $77K |
| Graduation rate | 85.1% | 57% |
| Retention rate | 94.8% | 77.3% |
| Median debt | $19,500 | $22,250 |
| Tuition · year | $38,400 | $20,164 |
| Avg. aid package | $23,217 | $14,444 |
| % of need met | 0.8% | 61% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $22,395 | $23,487 |
| Application fee | $50 | $40 |
| Enrollment | 59,238 | 14,358 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Toledo?
It's harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37% of applicants, while Toledo accepts 92%.
Do Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Toledo graduates earn more?
Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $81K vs $51K.
How much is tuition at Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs Toledo?
Sticker-price tuition is $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $20,164 per year at Toledo.
What SAT score do you need for Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Toledo?
The median admitted SAT score is 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and 1235 at Toledo; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Toledo?
Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign vs #601-700 for Toledo.
Which university offers more financial aid - Illinois Urbana-Champaign or Toledo?
The average aid package is $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign and $14,444 at Toledo.
Harvard
Stanford
Massachusetts Institute of Technology
Princeton
Yale
Cornell
Penn
Johns Hopkins
Washington University
Northwestern