University of Illinois

About the University of Illinois

The University of Illinois (UI) enrolls more than 43,200 students, including over 31,400 undergraduates. Students can choose among more than 150 undergraduate and 100 graduate and professional programs within the university's 16 colleges. Consistently ranked positively by U.S. News & World Report, the University of Illinois received a rating of ninth in the nation for public universities and number 39 as a national university in 2009.

The University of Illinois was established as Illinois Industrial University in 1867, when each state was awarded land to construct a major public state university to teach agriculture, military training and mechanic arts. Today the university's library is one of the largest public libraries in the country, as it contains more than 24 million literary items situated in the main library and the over 35 departmental libraries. Each week more than one million visitors from around the globe access the University of Illinois' library.

Admissions and Enrollment Information

With more than 20,000 high school seniors applying for about 7,000 open spots, knowing the admissions and enrollment specifications is essential. Incoming freshmen must provide high school transcripts, ACT or SAT scores, a 300-word essay, an extra-curricular activities list, a completed application and an application fee. Students must also apply to a specific school when applying. Transfer students need to provide official transcripts from all colleges attended, as well as high school transcripts, a 300-word essay, a completed application and an application fee. The university's website offers tips and a checklist for those applying to help the transaction go smoothly.

University of Illinois Colleges

College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences

As one of the colleges created when the school was opened in 1867, the College of Agriculture, Consumer and Environmental Sciences offers ten undergraduate majors with 39 separate concentrations. It has an enrollment of more than 2,300 undergraduates and 500 graduate students. The Animal Sciences Department and Agriculture and Consumer Economics Department have the highest undergraduate enrollment, while the Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences programs are the most popular among graduate students.

College of Engineering

As one of the country's most prestigious and immense engineering schools, the University of Illinois' College of Engineering consists of nearly 6,000 undergrads and 2,500 graduate students enrolled in 12 departments. Some of the areas of study available through this school include mechanical engineering, computer science, bioengineering, physics, material engineering and electrical engineering.. In 2009, U.S. News & World Report ranked both the undergraduate and graduate programs as fifth in the nation.

Institute of Aviation

Nearly 300 students enrolled in the Bachelor of Science in Aviation Human Factors practice flying at nearby Willard Airport. In addition to the bachelor's program, the college also offers a 2-year professional pilot program and a human factors master's program. The Institute of Aviation provides more than 25 aircraft for its students to fly, with the majority consisting of Piper Archer IIIs.

College of Fine and Applied Arts

The College of Fine and Applied Arts, created in 1931, focuses on three areas of fine arts: visual arts, performing arts and environmental design arts. This fine arts college serves almost 2,000 undergrads and 900 graduate students. The school consists of seven departments and uses six research or performance sites for its students.

Division of General Studies

The Division of General Studies acts as guidance for students who are unsure of their major or wish to explore their options. Nearly 3,100 students use this college's services, which account for almost 10% of the school's population. Also, nearly 25% of all University of Illinois freshmen start in this college annually.

College of Business

In 2009, the College of Business was ranked 13th in undergraduate programs nationally by U.S. News & World Report. In addition to undergraduate degrees, students can select several master's degrees in several areas, including business administration, finance, accountancy, tax and technology management. The college also offers three doctoral programs in accountancy, business administration and finance.

College of Law

For the 2009 academic year, the University of Illinois' College of Law set records for applicants, with more than 3,500 applications received; of those applicants, only around 250 students were accepted. The school is consistently considered one of the top public law schools in the country and helps its students achieve a 98% employment rate after graduation. The law library is the 14th largest academic law library in the country, with more than 750,000 volumes for its students to utilize.

School of Social Work

The School of Social Work has concentrations in healthcare, school social work and mental health. The school offers an extensive master's degree and Ph.D. program, with about 80% of its graduate students possessing degrees from other areas of study and not in social work. Beginning in fall 2010, the university will begin to offer a Bachelor of Social Work degree.

School of Labor and Employment Relations

The School of Labor and Employment Relations, founded in 1946, offers a master's and doctoral degree in human resources and industrial relations. The master's program enrolls about 130 students annually, while the doctoral program usually consists of about 10-15 students. The majority of students in the college are women - the enrollment is 69% female, 15% minority and 19% international students.

College of Liberal Arts and Sciences

The College of Liberal Arts and Sciences is the University of Illinois' largest school, with more than 14,000 students, 800 faculty members and over 50 departments. Half of the university's students end up with degrees from this college. Some of the programs include chemistry, biological and chemical engineering, communication, English, history and mathematics. Of the college's 130,000 alumni, there are eight Nobel Laureates and six Pulitzer Prize winners.

College of Media

Almost 1,100 undergraduate and graduate students partake in the College of Media annually. It has four degree programs for undergraduates, including advertising, broadcast journalism, news-editorial journalism and media studies. Graduate students may select among master's degrees in advertising and journalism and a Ph.D. in communications.

Graduate School of Library and Information Science

The University of Illinois is tied for the top library and information science school in the country with the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill, according to the 2009 U.S. News & World Report, rankings. The Graduate School of Library and Information Science at UI is a charter member of the iSchools Project, which forms a relationships uniting technology to provide information to other schools. Students can choose among Master of Science degree, certificate of advanced study and a Doctor of Philosophy degree.

College of Education

The College of Education offers another nationally ranked area of study for the University of Illinois. Its graduate-level education program is 24th in the national according to the U.S. News & World Report 2010 rankings. The college also has produced 11 Nobel Prize winners and was the first school to issue a Ph.D. in special education. Students can also choose among a B.A., Ed.M., M.A., M.S., Ed.D. and Ph.D., as well as advanced certificates, in numerous programs.

College of Applied Health Sciences

The College of Applied Health Sciences, established in 1895, has gone through several name changes, with the most recent one applied in 2006. The department goal is to teach students to improve the quality of life for people of all ages and all different abilities. Undergraduate and graduate students can choose areas of study including recreation, sport and tourism, speech and hearing science, kinesiology, community health and interdisciplinary health.

College of Medicine

The College of Medicine, which was opened in 1971, provides a 4-year medical education program which leads to a M.D. degree. The college also has a Medical Scholars Program, which is a joint M.D. and Ph.D. program geared toward advanced study in the medical field. As the third largest program in the nation, the University of Illinois' program offers more than 35 different areas of study.

College of Veterinary Medicine

With more than 100 new students enrolled in the College of Veterinary Medicine annually, the college offers several departments and units, including pathobiology, veterinary biosciences and veterinary clinical medicine. The main focus of the college is the 4-year Doctor of Veterinary Medicine (DVM) degree, but students can also choose a combined degree with Master of Public Health.

Contact Information

• Address: 601 E. John St., Champaign, IL 61820-5711
• Phone Number: (217) 333-1000