Princeton vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Princeton admits 4.4%, Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42.4%.
Average aid for an international student is $86,736 (Princeton) and $5,836 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
The order of prices reverses once aid is counted: Princeton starts at $95,624 against $57,284 and ends at $16,304 against $34,067 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
Ten years on, graduates of Princeton earn noticeably more: $110K against $81K.
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
Princeton is the more selective of the two (4.42% vs 42.37% acceptance). Princeton ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#7 vs #55). Princeton graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($110K vs $81K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $68,454 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 Princeton for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: lower tuition.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Princeton is more selective (4.42% vs 42.37% acceptance); Princeton has a higher median SAT (1530 vs 1470).
Princeton graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($110K vs $81K); Princeton has a higher 6-year graduation rate (97.6% vs 85.1%).
Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $68,454); Princeton offers a larger average aid package ($79,320 vs $23,217).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Princeton | Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #7 | #55 |
| Rank · THE | #4 | #46 |
| Acceptance rate | 4.42% | 42.37% |
| Yield rate | 75.4% | 28.8% |
| Median SAT | 1530 | 1470 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.96 | - |
| Number of applications | 42,303 | 73,742 |
| International students | 13.1% | 14.9% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $110K | $81K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $68K | $55K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $197K | $117K |
| Graduation rate | 97.6% | 85.1% |
| Retention rate | 99% | 94.8% |
| Median debt | $10,320 | $19,500 |
| Tuition · year | $68,454 | $38,400 |
| Avg. aid package | $79,320 | $23,217 |
| % of need met | 100% | 0.8% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $21,251 | $22,395 |
| Application fee | $75 | $50 |
| Enrollment | 9,281 | 59,238 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Princeton or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
It's harder to get into Princeton. Princeton accepts 4.42% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37%.
Do Princeton or Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more?
Princeton graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $110K vs $81K.
How much is tuition at Princeton vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
Sticker-price tuition is $68,454 per year at Princeton and $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
What SAT score do you need for Princeton or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The median admitted SAT score is 1530 at Princeton and 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Princeton or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
Princeton ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #7 for Princeton vs #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Which university offers more financial aid - Princeton or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The average aid package is $79,320 at Princeton and $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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