University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign

university of illinois accreditation

Degree Programs Available at the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign

University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign appears in our ranking of 50 Great Affordable Colleges in the Midwest.

The academic offerings available from the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign include majors, minors, and concentrations for undergrads. Students can choose from majors that range from accounting to voice. In the voice program, students rehearse and work with coaches as they take general education classes. They can perform in musicals and stage shows too. The university’s agricultural and consumer economics program includes concentrations in farm management, agribusiness markets and management and finance in agribusiness. In the university’s English program, students must pick from concentrations in English teaching, topics in English or general English.

Many of the graduate programs at the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign include multiple concentrations too. The art and design program awards graduates a Master of Fine Arts (MFA) and includes concentrations in crafts, graphic design, industrial design, metals, painting photography, printmaking, and sculpture. In the art history program, students can choose between writing and medieval studies concentrations. There are also concentrations available in the Master of Business Administration (MBA) program, including business data analytics, accounting, real estate and business, and public policy. Some of these concentrations are only available in the full-time program. The MBA is also available as an executive and a part-time program.

Also available are three professional programs designed for students who want to work as lawyers, doctors or veterinarians. The university’s law school ranks as one of the best in Illinois and the Midwest. It has a high passing rate among students who took the bar exam once they graduated. In the veterinary medicine program, students will do residency work and gain experience as they have direct contact with animals. A residency is one of the requirements of the university’s medical program too. Students have the option of working in some of the state’s top hospitals.

About the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign

The University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign is a public university and the largest college campus in Illinois. Established in 1867 as the Illinois Industrial University, it became the University of Illinois a few decades later. The current name used by the university came about after other campuses opened in the system. To show that it is the flagship campus in that system, it uses the names Illinois and the University of Illinois. It also uses the nickname U of I.

U of I is a selective university with an acceptance rate of around 60% among undergrads, but it is even more selective in regards to its graduate and professional programs. The university introduced new online programs in the 2000s that are part of the U of I Online System. Other online programs such as its iMBA are available directly from the university. U.S. News and World Report ranks Illinois as the nation’s 46th best university and the 54th best university in the world.

University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign Accreditation Details

Illinois has full regional and institutional accreditation from the Higher Learning Commission (HLC). This is what allows students who need financial assistance use the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) to get financial aid at the beginning of the year. It also gives students the option of bringing credits to U of I or using their Illinois credits at another university. Among the programs available that have accreditation at U of I include those in law, psychology, education, dance, art, design, and dietetics.

University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign Application Requirements

The U of I undergraduate application becomes available on September first and has an early action deadline of November first. Students who want to know by the end of the year if they can start classes in the fall should apply by this deadline. The final deadline is January fifth, which allows students to know if the university accepted them by the middle of March. Freshmen need to take between two and four years of math, foreign language, science and social studies classes and four full years of English classes in high school. Illinois allows students to report their grades and test scores on the application but will require both official test scores and transcripts later. Students will also pay a $50 application fee.

Incoming graduate students must meet the university’s base requirements for acceptance, which include a grade point average of at least 3.0 and a bachelor’s degree from a university with regional accreditation. Those who attended a university in another country will need to show that their schools have a similar type of accreditation or approval. The deadline for these applications can range from the beginning of January to the middle of the summer and are up to each individual program. Those programs can set other requirements, including asking for a resume, writing samples, letters of recommendation, test scores and other information.

Tuition and Financial Aid

At U of I, undergrads pay $16,210 per year as full-time students, but this rate only applies to those who are Illinois residents. Nonresidents pay $33,352 per year. The cost of room and board for students living on the Illinois campus is $11,480 per year, though some students will pay more because they pick a different type of room or a larger meal plan. Graduate students pay a minimum of $12,942 per year as a resident and $27,960 each year as a nonresident. The accounting, MBA, arts, and journalism programs are among those that charge higher rates. Illinois lets students view the total cost of enrollment before their classes start.

When students complete the FAFSA, they will find out what type of aid the university will award them for the year. Graduate students can get assistantships, which are a type of work-study. These positions give them tuition waivers and stipends. Work-study is also available for undergrads and allows students to work in jobs that match their majors. Scholarships from U of I are based on the needs and merit of each student, but the university also offers scholarships for students who sing or play instruments and those who play sports. As soon as the University of Illinois – Urbana Champaign receives a student’s FAFSA, it will use all the information available to create a financial aid package based on the needs of that student and the cost of the degree program.