University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) vs University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL)

Nestled in the heart of the Midwest, the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln (UNL) stand as two prominent beacons of higher education. While both institutions share a commitment to academic excellence and student success, they offer distinct experiences shaped by their unique characteristics. UIUC boasts a lower acceptance rate, a larger student body, and a wider range of academic programs, including highly ranked engineering and business schools. UNL, on the other hand, offers a more intimate learning environment, lower tuition fees, and a strong focus on agricultural and natural resources programs. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into the details and discover which university aligns best with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign logo

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign

University of Nebraska-Lincoln logo

University of Nebraska-Lincoln

Overview

Location Champaign, Illinois Lincoln, Nebraska
Campus setting City: Small City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Public Public
Calendar system Semester Semester
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 93.0% 80.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 59.7% 81.1%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $50

Graduate: $70
Undergraduate: $45

Graduate: $50
SAT range 1320 - 1510 1090 - 1320
ACT range 29 - 34 22 - 28
Students submitting SAT score 43.0% 8.0%
Students submitting ACT score 24.0% 85.0%
Total number of applicants 47,593 17,775
Total number of admissions given out 28,395 14,411
Admitted students who chose to enroll 8,297 4,736
Yield rate 29.2% 32.9%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Not required Not required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Required Not required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price
In state: $31,636

Out of state: $49,086
In state: $26,316

Out of state: $43,446
Average net price $14,272 $18,403
Tuition
In state: $12,254

Out of state: $29,704
In state: $7,770

Out of state: $24,900
Room & board $12,494
Room/dormitory: $7,485

Meal plan: $4,653
Available payment plans
  • Guaranteed tuition plan
  • Tuition payment plan
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

82.0%
Average amount $11,212
96.0%
Average amount $8,608
Students receiving federal student loan 33.0%
Average amount $4,889
34.0%
Average amount $4,691
Students taking out private loans 8.0%
Average amount $7,014
5.0%
Average amount $13,909

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 34,779
Men 54.1% Women 45.9%
19,552
Men 50.5% Women 49.5%
Graduate students 21,828
Men 55.8% Women 44.2%
4,879
Men 49.2% Women 50.8%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Very Low
Out-of-state students 19.1% 25.7%
International students 20.4% 7.4%
Campus local/setting City: Small City: Large
Dormitory capacity 16,111 6,936
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from Illinois California New Jersey Texas New York Nebraska Illinois Minnesota Kansas Iowa

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Business
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Engineering
  • Agriculture
  • Education
  • Business
  • Visual & Performing Arts
Students to faculty ratio 21:1 16:1
Institutional accreditation Higher Learning Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 84.9% 66.4%
Dropout rate 14.2% 10.7%
Transferred out N/A 21.4%
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $144,200
  • Year 2: $138,932
  • Year 3: $205,343
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $101,262
  • Year 2: $101,592
  • Year 3: $118,452
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,177
  • Year 2: $95,930
  • Year 3: $115,158
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $88,455
  • Year 2: $84,100
  • Year 3: $103,246
Human Resources Management and Services (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,923
  • Year 2: $93,033
  • Year 3: $99,026
Taxation (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $96,057
  • Year 2: $99,404
  • Year 3: $96,431
Veterinary Medicine (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $83,448
  • Year 2: N/A
  • Year 3: $93,057
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $87,643
  • Year 2: $87,604
  • Year 3: $92,498
Law (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,633
  • Year 2: $74,200
  • Year 3: $92,189
Engineering Physics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $48,606
  • Year 2: $74,845
  • Year 3: $90,556
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $91,695
  • Year 2: $91,017
  • Year 3: $102,607
Educational Administration and Supervision (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $74,888
  • Year 2: $78,134
  • Year 3: $86,893
Management Sciences and Quantitative Methods (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,533
  • Year 2: $64,493
  • Year 3: $86,584
Computer and Information Sciences, General (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $69,494
  • Year 2: $68,918
  • Year 3: $78,265
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $67,969
  • Year 2: $70,680
  • Year 3: $75,873
Computer Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $76,040
  • Year 2: $71,015
  • Year 3: $74,823
Education, Other (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: N/A
  • Year 2: $72,325
  • Year 3: $73,798
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $61,124
  • Year 2: $58,402
  • Year 3: $73,111
Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,572
  • Year 2: $66,168
  • Year 3: $72,183
Chemical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $63,299
  • Year 2: $66,821
  • Year 3: $71,063

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