University of Texas at Austin
AUSTIN, TEXAS
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
CHAMPAIGN, ILLINOIS
COLLEGE COUNCIL · ATLAS · US UNIVERSITIES

Texas at Austin vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign - US university comparison

University of Texas at Austin
TEXAS AT AUSTIN
Austin, Texas
World rank · ARWU#45
Acceptance26.64%
Median SAT1395
Graduation rate88.9%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$75K
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

University of Texas at Austin University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
#45 World rank · ARWU #55
- Rank · THE #46
26.64% Acceptance rate 42.37%
1395 Median SAT 1470
88.9% Graduation rate 85.1%
53,864 Enrollment 59,238

HEAD-TO-HEAD STATISTICS

26.64% Acceptance rate 42.37%
47.4% Yield rate 28.8%
1395 Median SAT 1470
- Avg. GPA -
72,885 Number of applications 73,742
4.5% Int'l students 14.9%
$75K Median earnings · 10 yrs $81K
$51K Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs $55K
$117K Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs $117K
88.9% Graduation rate 85.1%
96.7% Retention rate 94.8%
$20,500 Median debt $19,500
$44,908 Tuition · year $38,400
$20,219 Avg. aid package $23,217
75% % of need met 0.8%
$19,919 Avg. graduate debt $22,395
$75 Application fee $50
$21,838 Avg. int'l aid $5,836
At a glance
Texas at Austin leads in 6 of 11 measured metrics
% of need75% vs 0.8%
Yield47.4% vs 28.8%
Acceptance26.64% vs 42.37%

The verdict, from the data

A place is harder to win where the bar sits higher: Texas at Austin admits 26.6%, Illinois Urbana-Champaign admits 42.4%.

The share of international students differs sharply: 14.9% (Illinois Urbana-Champaign) against 4.5% (Texas at Austin).

For an applicant from outside the US the difference is financial: Texas at Austin awards international students $21,838 on average, Illinois Urbana-Champaign awards $5,836.

You do not have to choose between price and outcome here: Illinois Urbana-Champaign costs $38,400 against $44,908, and its graduates earn $81K against $75K (Texas at Austin).

These numbers describe the cohorts already enrolled, not your chances; treat them as a starting point rather than a forecast.

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

Texas at Austin is the more selective of the two (26.64% vs 42.37% acceptance). Texas at Austin ranks higher in the ARWU world research ranking (#45 vs #55). Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $75K). Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $44,908 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 Texas at Austin for: a higher world ranking, higher selectivity, a higher graduation rate.

Choose Illinois Urbana-Champaign for: higher graduate earnings, lower tuition, a larger aid package.

College Council Atlas analysis · IPEDS / College Scorecard CDS 2024-25, ARWU 2024.

BY THE NUMBERS

Admissions

Texas at Austin is more selective (26.64% vs 42.37% acceptance); Illinois Urbana-Champaign has a higher median SAT (1470 vs 1395).

Graduate outcomes

Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn a higher median 10 years after enrollment ($81K vs $75K); Texas at Austin has a higher 6-year graduation rate (88.9% vs 85.1%).

Cost and aid

Illinois Urbana-Champaign has lower sticker-price tuition ($38,400 vs $44,908); Illinois Urbana-Champaign offers a larger average aid package ($23,217 vs $20,219).

VALUE LANDSCAPE

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

FULL DATA TABLE

Metric Texas at Austin Illinois Urbana-Champaign
World rank · ARWU#45#55
Rank · THE-#46
Acceptance rate26.64%42.37%
Yield rate47.4%28.8%
Median SAT13951470
Avg. GPA--
Number of applications72,88573,742
International students4.5%14.9%
Median earnings · 10 yrs$75K$81K
Bottom 25% earnings · 10 yrs$51K$55K
Top 25% earnings · 10 yrs$117K$117K
Graduation rate88.9%85.1%
Retention rate96.7%94.8%
Median debt$20,500$19,500
Tuition · year$44,908$38,400
Avg. aid package$20,219$23,217
% of need met75%0.8%
Avg. graduate debt$19,919$22,395
Application fee$75$50
Enrollment53,86459,238

FREQUENTLY ASKED QUESTIONS

Is it harder to get into Texas at Austin or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

It's harder to get into Texas at Austin. Texas at Austin accepts 26.64% of applicants, while Illinois Urbana-Champaign accepts 42.37%.

Do Texas at Austin or Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates earn more?

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

How much is tuition at Texas at Austin vs Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

Sticker-price tuition is $44,908 per year at Texas at Austin and $38,400 per year at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

What SAT score do you need for Texas at Austin or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

The median admitted SAT score is 1395 at Texas at Austin and 1470 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign; aim for these values or higher to be competitive.

Which university ranks higher - Texas at Austin or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

Texas at Austin ranks higher in the ARWU world ranking: #45 for Texas at Austin vs #55 for Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Which university offers more financial aid - Texas at Austin or Illinois Urbana-Champaign?

The average aid package is $20,219 at Texas at Austin and $23,217 at Illinois Urbana-Champaign.

Compare Texas at Austin 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.