Admissions Factors
What UIUC Looks For
UIUC rates 6 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, extracurricular activities, talent or ability, character and personal qualities and first-generation status.
How UIUC rates each factor
Each college sorts 18 factors into four levels on its Common Data Set.
Very important
Important
Considered
The numbers behind the class
Overall admit rate
36.6%
30,384 of 83,045 applicants
Early decision admit rate
No early decision
Admitted from the waitlist
0%
1 of 4,317 who stayed on it
61.6% of those who reported a class rank were in the top tenth of their class.
Frequently asked questions
What does UIUC look for in applicants?
UIUC rates 6 factors as very important: rigor of high school courses, academic GPA, extracurricular activities, talent or ability, character and personal qualities and first-generation status.
Does UIUC consider legacy status?
UIUC rates alumni relation as "not considered" in its 2025-26 Common Data Set.
Does UIUC track demonstrated interest?
UIUC rates the level of an applicant's interest as "not considered".
What is UIUC's waitlist acceptance rate?
4,317 students stayed on the waitlist and 1 were admitted, a rate of 0%. The number changes a lot from year to year because it depends on how many admitted students enroll.
Source: UIUC’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section C. Last checked 2026-10-08. The ratings are the college’s own description of its process. Counts are for one entering class.
