More selective than 44% of Illinois colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $27,521. College Scorecard.
Higher than 56% of Illinois colleges we cover and 64% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 77% of Illinois colleges we cover and 84% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
UIC acceptance rate & admissions
Of 25,420 applicants, University of Illinois Chicago admitted 19,955 and 4,647 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1130–1350 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
UIC tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for Illinois residents who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (in-state, federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What UIC costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Illinois Chicago took 4.4 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Illinois. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $7,529 | $33,203 | 1.0 years |
| $30–48k | $8,119 | $35,805 | 1.1 years |
| $48–75k | $10,921 | $48,162 | 1.5 years |
| $75–110k | $16,185 | $71,376 | 2.2 years |
| $110k+ | $25,047 | $110,457 | 3.4 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.4 years, the average time graduates took (40% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($68,740) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $32,943 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
UIC majors, earnings & careers
University of Illinois Chicago offers 69 bachelor's majors across 10 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Engineering · 11
- Humanities & Languages · 10
- Business & Finance · 9
- Science & Math · 9
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 9
- Health & Medicine · 8
- Arts & Design · 6
- Technology & Computing · 4
- Education · 2
- Communications & Media · 1
Highest-earning majors at UIC
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $120,470 | $19,087 |
| Computer Engineering | $102,691 | $22,000 |
| Electrical Engineering | $92,002 | $23,500 |
| Chemical Engineering | $87,407 | $23,875 |
| Biomedical Engineering | $87,393 | $22,500 |
| Mechanical Engineering | $87,384 | $21,500 |
| Nursing | $87,037 | $20,500 |
| Industrial Engineering | $86,202 | $22,247 |
Quick list of all 69 majors
- Accounting$86,088
- Anthropology$51,907
- Architecture$56,975
- Area Studies—
- Arts and Entertainment Management—
- Biochemistry$58,268
- Biology$59,119
- Biomedical Engineering$87,393
- Business Administration$68,109
- Chemical Engineering$87,407
- Chemistry$64,442
- Civil Engineering$83,680
- Classical and Ancient Studies—
- Classics—
- Communications$56,845
- Computer and Information Sciences—
- Computer Engineering$102,691
- Computer Science$120,470
- Criminal Justice$59,295
- Dietetics$49,393
- Economics$63,429
- Education (Elementary / Secondary)$64,100
- Education (Subject Teaching)$63,233
- Electrical Engineering$92,002
- Engineering Physics—
- Engineering-Related Fields—
- English$48,442
- Entrepreneurship—
- Environmental Engineering—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies$45,253
- Finance$83,218
- Geology / Earth Science$61,206
- Graphic / Interior / Fashion Design$59,188
- Health Administration$66,694
- Health Sciences$50,429
- History$55,326
- Human Development and Family Studies$50,123
- Human Resources—
- Industrial Engineering$86,202
- Information Science / Studies$81,180
- Kinesiology / Exercise Science$55,247
- Liberal Arts / General Studies—
- Management Science / Analytics$67,555
- Marketing$71,293
- Mathematics$67,016
- Mathematics and Computer Science$77,321
- Mechanical Engineering$87,384
- Music—
- Neuroscience$56,869
- Nursing$87,037
- Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration—
- Philosophy—
- Physics—
- Political Science$60,020
- Psychology$52,736
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)—
- Public Health$58,603
- Public Policy Analysis—
- Real Estate—
- Rehabilitation / Therapy Sciences$54,584
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Sociology$53,962
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages$57,594
- Statistics$68,585
- Studio Art$41,924
- Sustainability Studies—
- Theatre$36,792
- Urban Studies / Affairs$50,202
- Visual and Performing Arts—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Finance → Financial analyst
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Chicago
Overall prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,011. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 39 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (very high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Cook County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cook County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare UIC with similar schools
Similar public colleges in Illinois by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Illinois Chicago | 77% | $10,974 | 62% | $68,740 | This school |
| Illinois State University | 88% | $19,398 | 65% | $62,117 | |
| Southern Illinois University-Carbondale | 87% | $13,297 | 62% | $53,390 | |
| Northern Illinois University | 70% | $13,391 | 49% | $57,808 | |
| Southern Illinois University Edwardsville | 98% | $14,889 | 57% | $56,346 |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Illinois Chicago would cost you $8,424 less per year than Illinois State University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of Illinois Chicago, mostly from more University of Illinois Chicago students living at home, which lowers its average (−$8,720).
- University of Illinois Chicago gives aided families $1,636 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Illinois resident | UIC | Illinois State University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $14,338 | $16,144 | −$1,806 |
| Books & supplies | $1,400 | $830 | +$570 |
| Housing & meals | $14,600 | $11,584 | +$3,016 |
| Personal & travel | $6,026 | $5,874 | +$152 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$8,843 | −$123 | −$8,720 |
| Sticker price | $27,521 | $34,309 | −$6,788 |
| Average grants | −$16,547 | −$14,911 | −$1,636 |
| You pay | $10,974 | $19,398 | −$8,424 |
“+” means UIC costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about UIC
What is the UIC acceptance rate?
University of Illinois Chicago accepts 77% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 19,955 of 25,420 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1130–1350 on the SAT or 25–31 on the ACT.
How much does University of Illinois Chicago cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $27,521 a year for in-state students. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $10,974 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $7,529 and families earning $110k+ pay $25,047.
How much do UIC graduates earn?
Former University of Illinois Chicago students earn a median $68,740 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the UIC graduation rate?
62% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 80% return for their second year.
How long does a UIC degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Illinois Chicago costs about $48,162 after grants ($10,921 a year for 4.4 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $68,740 ten years after starting, $32,943 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in 1.5 years of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Illinois Chicago: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-illinois-chicago (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).