Stanford vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign - US university comparison
KEY DATA
HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS
The verdict, from the data
The lower acceptance rate belongs to Stanford: 3.8% against 42.4% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).
Real money goes to international students at Stanford ($85,424 on average), while Illinois Urbana-Champaign stops at $5,836.
The one that looks dearer ends up cheaper: Stanford lists $97,545 against $57,284 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign), but after average aid what remains is $20,266 against $34,067.
The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Stanford: $124K 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
Stanford is the more selective of the two (3.8% vs 42.37% acceptance). Stanford ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#2 vs #55). Stanford graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($124K vs $81K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $68,574 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 Stanford for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, higher graduate earnings.
Choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: lower tuition, lower graduate debt.
College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.
BY THE NUMBERS
Stanford is more selective (3.8% vs 42.37% acceptance); Stanford has a higher median SAT (1550 vs 1470).
Stanford graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($124K vs $81K); Stanford has a higher 6-year graduation rate (91.9% vs 85.1%).
Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $68,574); Stanford offers a larger average aid package ($77,279 vs $23,217).
VALUE LANDSCAPE
FULL DATA TABLE
| Metric | Stanford | Illinois Urbana-Champaign |
|---|---|---|
| World rank · ARWU | #2 | #55 |
| Rank · THE | #6 | #46 |
| Acceptance rate | 3.8% | 42.37% |
| Yield rate | 79.9% | 28.8% |
| Median SAT | 1550 | 1470 |
| Avg. GPA | 3.94 | - |
| Number of applications | 60,646 | 73,742 |
| International students | 13.1% | 14.9% |
| Median earnings · 10 yrs | $124K | $81K |
| Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $73K | $55K |
| Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs | $220K | $117K |
| Graduation rate | 91.9% | 85.1% |
| Retention rate | 97.5% | 94.8% |
| Median debt | $12,000 | $19,500 |
| Tuition · year | $68,574 | $38,400 |
| Avg. aid package | $77,279 | $23,217 |
| % of need met | 100% | 0.8% |
| Avg. graduate debt | $28,507 | $22,395 |
| Application fee | $100 | $50 |
| Enrollment | 18,121 | 59,238 |
FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS
Is it harder to get into Stanford or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
It's harder to get into Stanford. Stanford accepts 3.8% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37%.
Do Stanford or Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more?
Stanford graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $124K vs $81K.
How much is tuition at Stanford vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
Sticker-price tuition is $68,574 per year at Stanford and $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
What SAT score do you need for Stanford or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The median admitted SAT score is 1550 at Stanford and 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.
Which university ranks higher - Stanford or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
Stanford ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #2 for Stanford vs #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Which university offers more financial aid - Stanford or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?
The average aid package is $77,279 at Stanford and $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
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