Temple University
PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Temple vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign - US university comparison

Temple University
TEMPLE
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
World rank · ARWU#401-500
Acceptance80.45%
Median SAT1250
Graduation rate75%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$64K
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
🔒 UNDERGRADUATE 🔒 GRADUATE

KEY DATA

Temple University University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
#401-500 World rank · ARWU #55
- Rank · THE #46
80.45% Acceptance rate 42.37%
1250 Median SAT 1470
75% Graduation rate 85.1%
29,637 Enrollment 59,238

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

80.45% Acceptance rate 42.37%
15% Yield rate 28.8%
1250 Median SAT 1470
3.42 Avg. GPA -
40,817 Number of applications 73,742
4.4% Int'l students 14.9%
$64K Median earnings · 10 yrs $81K
$41K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $55K
$92K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $117K
75% Graduation rate 85.1%
83% Retention rate 94.8%
$24,395 Median debt $19,500
$40,144 Tuition · year $38,400
$17,833 Avg. aid package $23,217
60.5% % of need met 0.8%
$41,808 Avg. graduate debt $22,395
$55 Application fee $50
$16,607 Avg. int'l aid $5,836
At a glance
Illinois Urbana-Champaign leads in 10 of 11 measured metrics
% of need60.5% vs 0.8%
Yield15% vs 28.8%
Acceptance80.45% vs 42.37%

The verdict, from the data

Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42.4% of applicants, while Temple admits 80.5%.

The share of international students differs sharply: 14.9% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign) against 4.4% (Temple).

Average aid for an international student is $16,607 (Temple) and $5,836 (Illinois Urbana-Champaign).

The gap in median earnings after a decade favours Illinois Urbana-Champaign: $81K against $64K.

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 80.45% acceptance). Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#401-500 vs #55). Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $64K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $40,144 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.

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 80.45% acceptance); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1250).

Graduate outcomes

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $64K); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher 6-year graduation rate (85.1% vs 75%).

Cost and aid

Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $40,144); Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a larger average aid package ($23,217 vs $17,833).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Temple Illinois Urbana-Champaign
World rank · ARWU#401-500#55
Rank · THE-#46
Acceptance rate80.45%42.37%
Yield rate15%28.8%
Median SAT12501470
Avg. GPA3.42-
Number of applications40,81773,742
International students4.4%14.9%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$64K$81K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$41K$55K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$92K$117K
Graduation rate75%85.1%
Retention rate83%94.8%
Median debt$24,395$19,500
Tuition · year$40,144$38,400
Avg. aid package$17,833$23,217
% of need met60.5%0.8%
Avg. graduate debt$41,808$22,395
Application fee$55$50
Enrollment29,63759,238

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

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

It's harder to get into Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Temple accepts 80.45% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37%.

Do Temple or Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more?

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more: the median 10 years after enrollment is $81K vs $64K.

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

Sticker-price tuition is $40,144 per year at Temple and $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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

The median admitted SAT score is 1250 at Temple and 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

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

Illinois Urbana-Champaign ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #401-500 for Temple vs #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

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

The average aid package is $17,833 at Temple and $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Compare Temple 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.