Address: 601 East John Street, 61820 Champaign, Illinois, United States
Engineering, Computer Science, Agriculture
Founded in 1867, UIUC is a public land-grant research university, the flagship of the University of Illinois system. It is renowned for its comprehensive programs and excellence in engineering, computer science, agriculture, and library & information science.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign was founded in 1867 as Illinois Industrial University, a land-grant institution created under the Morrill Act, to teach agriculture and engineering to the sons and daughters of farmers and workers. It adopted its current name in 1885 and became the flagship of the University of Illinois system. The campus lies in the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign, in the prairie of central Illinois, about 220 kilometres south of Chicago. It has about 57,200 students and 10,300 staff.
The Main Quad, with its brick buildings and the Alma Mater statue, is the traditional core, while the engineering campus to the north holds a large complex of laboratories. The Grainger College of Engineering is one of the largest and best known in the country, and the programmes in computer science, electrical, civil, aerospace and materials engineering have long had a high rank. Agriculture, library and information science, accounting, education and the physical sciences are other strengths.
The research record is long. John Bardeen, a professor of physics and electrical engineering, won two Nobel Prizes in Physics, in 1956 for the transistor and in 1972 for the theory of superconductivity. Nick Holonyak Jr. invented the first practical visible-spectrum LED in 1962 as a researcher at General Electric and later taught here. The Illiac computers, the PLATO computer-based teaching system and the National Center for Supercomputing Applications, created in 1986, where the Mosaic web browser was developed in 1993, belong to this heritage.
The university maintains one of the largest university libraries in the world, and the Research Park near the campus hosts start-ups and corporate labs. Notable alumni include the co-founders of YouTube, Jawed Karim, and PayPal, Max Levchin. The Fighting Illini compete in the Big Ten Conference. Admission is selective and tuition varies by programme and residency. Check the current tariff. Teaching is in English.
The living costs of the twin cities are lower than in big coastal cities, and a free bus system serves the campus.
Domains taught:
Agriculture, AI and Machine Learning, Data Analytics, Engineering, Life Sciences, Materials, Software Engineering
Diplomas*:
Bachelor, Doctor, Master, MBA
Status:
Public
Partnerships:
Home to National Center for Supercomputing Applications (NCSA – birthplace of Mosaic browser). Strong corporate partnerships in engineering, agriculture, and technology. Member of Big Ten Academic Alliance and AAU.
Research:
A leading research university with significant contributions in engineering (civil, electrical, materials), computer science (AI, HPC), agriculture, physics, and accounting. High research activity.
Famous Alumnis:
Marc Andreessen, Larry Ellison (attended), Max Levchin, Nick Offerman, Ang Lee, Hugh Hefner
International recognition**:
Number of staff***:
10300
Current students***:
57200
Foreign students***:
20%
Cumulative former students***:
475000
Pros
Top-ranked engineering and computer science programs, comprehensive university with diverse strengths, large research enterprise, vibrant campus life.
Cons
Very large student population, can feel impersonal especially in early years, located in a smaller urban area (Champaign-Urbana), harsh winters.
Best For
Students seeking a world-class public education, particularly in engineering, computer science, or agriculture, at a large, research-intensive land-grant university with a strong academic tradition.
University of Florida offers a comparable education in agriculture, materials and life sciences: it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
University of Wisconsin, Madison sits close to this university on agriculture, life sciences and data analytics; it is slightly smaller, at about 50,300 students against roughly 57,200 here, and is also a public institution.
A good alternative in the same country is Pennsylvania State University, which likewise covers agriculture, materials and data analytics; it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers geotechnics as well.
Ohio State University works in much the same fields, chiefly agriculture, materials and life sciences, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
For students who like the agriculture, life sciences and data analytics focus of this institution but want another option nearby, Iowa State University fits well: it is smaller, enrolling about 36,000 students against roughly 57,200 here, and is also a public institution.
Most Similar Schools Abroad
McMaster University offers an international parallel to this institution, with materials, life sciences and data analytics as common ground; it is also a public institution, and runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes.
The University of Manchester in the United Kingdom pursues a similar profile in materials, life sciences and AI and machine learning, and it runs the same bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba programmes, and covers chemistry and physics as well.
Looking internationally, University of Nottingham in the United Kingdom is where agriculture, life sciences and AI and machine learning get a comparable treatment; it teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba, and covers chemistry and physics as well.
Western University, based in Canada, is built around materials, life sciences and data analytics much like this institution, and it is also a public institution, and teaches at the same levels, namely bachelor's, master's, doctoral and mba.
The closest overseas parallel on life sciences, data analytics and AI and machine learning is University of Hong Kong, located in Hong Kong; it is slightly smaller, at about 39,200 students against roughly 57,200 here, and is also a public institution.
*our own picks (our criteria: a mix between domains, diploma delivered, reputation and size), but obviously too many criteria for an apple-to-apple ranking.
FAQ
Where is UIUC?
In the twin cities of Urbana and Champaign, in central Illinois, about 220 kilometres south of Chicago.
When was it founded?
In 1867, as Illinois Industrial University, a land-grant institution.
How large is it?
About 57,200 students and 10,300 staff.
What is the Grainger College of Engineering?
One of the largest and best known engineering colleges in the country.
Who won two Nobel Prizes in Physics?
John Bardeen, in 1956 for the transistor and in 1972 for the theory of superconductivity.
What is NCSA?
The National Center for Supercomputing Applications, created in 1986, where the Mosaic web browser was developed in 1993.
Who invented the first practical visible LED?
Nick Holonyak Jr., in 1962, later a professor at Illinois.
Which companies were co-founded by alumni?
YouTube, by Jawed Karim, and PayPal, by Max Levchin.
What is the Research Park?
A park near the campus that hosts start-ups and corporate laboratories.
What does it cost?
Tuition varies by programme and residency. Check the current tariff.
Agriculture, Artificial Intelligence (AI), Engineering, Lean Manufacturing, Robotics, Sustainable Development
*: without any judgment of the quality, readers are strongly encouraged to check the official status of the exact diploma envisioned as many universities have a mix of recognized diplomas, not recognized, “co-delivered,” “equivalent to”, “some pathways” (…), can change over time, and can be named differently from one country to another.
**: international reputation: is based on some criteria that do not mean much in some domains or specialties (number of researchers, of scientific publications, on budget ….). Our approximate 1-4 scale:
known locally
known locally and internationally
is listed in some of the world university’s classifications
is listed among the 20 firsts in some of world university’s classifications
***: estimated numbers, based on online sources and/or feedbacks. The numbers can vary greatly depending on school organisation (ex.: school is part of a group, it employs internal staff or external consultants or has public staff without employing them …). Refer to all the links provided to have accurate and updated numbers.
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