,·Public Research University·Est. 1946
“Chicago's only Carnegie R1 public research university, powering careers in the heart of one of the world's great cities.”
The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is the largest university in Chicago and one of the most comprehensive public research universities in the Midwest. As a Carnegie R1 institution, UIC produces cutting-edge research across medicine, engineering, business, education, and the liberal arts—all within walking distance of the Loop, Chicago's legendary downtown. UIC's diverse campus reflects Chicago itself: students come from all 50 states and more than 100 countries. Its 15 colleges and schools include one of the nation's largest medical schools, an innovative College of Engineering, and a highly ranked College of Business Administration. The university's location gives students unparalleled access to Fortune 500 companies, world-class hospitals, and a booming tech sector for internships and co-ops. A special draw is UIC's affordability: the UIC Aspire program covers 100% of tuition and fees for qualifying Illinois residents from households earning under $75,000 per year. This commitment to access and excellence makes UIC one of the best values in American higher education.
Visa, OPT, H-1B alumni outcomes, and acceptance rates by country — sourced from FOIA, USCIS H-1B Hub, and DHS SEVIS.
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Test Optional — You can submit scores if they help your case, but they're not required.
Official SourcePriority Deadline
Recommended for scholarship consideration
Regular Decision
Rolling admissions after this date
The deep admissions playbook beyond the headline acceptance rate — round-by-round breakdowns, nationality data, requirements, and contact paths.
Domestic
$15,949
/yr
Out-of-State / Intl
$32,009
/yr
Beyond the sticker price — every named scholarship, the financial aid policy, need-aware notes, and a personalized net-cost estimate.
How life on campus actually feels — clubs, sports, traditions, housing realities, and how the school integrates with its city.
ABET-accredited programs in civil, mechanical, electrical, biomedical, and computer engineering.
AACSB-accredited business school with strengths in finance, accounting, and entrepreneurship.
The largest college at UIC, offering programs across the humanities, social sciences, and natural sciences.
One of the largest medical schools in the U.S. with campuses in Chicago, Peoria, Rockford, and Urbana.
Top-ranked nursing programs with extensive clinical placements in the Chicago healthcare system.
4 years
UIC's flagship engineering program. Co-located with the UIC Health Sciences campus (largest medical campus in the U.S. by enrollment) provides direct access to clinical translation, hospital affiliations, and biomedical research labs. STEM-designated, strong pipeline to MD, MD/PhD, and biotech industry.
8 years
UIC's signature combined-admission pathway: highly selective high-school applicants are admitted simultaneously to undergrad and (conditional) to UIC's College of Medicine, Dentistry, Pharmacy, Public Health, Nursing, or Law. One of the largest such programs in the U.S. — secures a graduate-school seat from day one.
4 years
UIC CS is one of the largest CS programs in the Midwest. STEM-designated, strong placement into Chicago tech (Google, Motorola Mobility, Salesforce, JPMorgan Chicago, CBOE Global Markets, Grubhub). Applied AI and HCI labs, plus joint programs with the Industrial Engineering and Mathematics departments.
5 years
UIC School of Architecture (College of Architecture, Design, and the Arts) is one of only a few NAAB-accredited 5-year B.Arch programs at a public research university. Studio-based, with a strong design-research and Chicago-architectural-history focus.
Where alumni go after graduation — top industries, grad-school continuation, and the qualitative outcomes story.
Sticker price (annual, out-of-state): $54,404
Net-cost estimate is US-resident-only — international applicants are typically excluded from need-based aid at most schools and should treat the sticker price as the planning baseline.
