UCLA vs. Illinois

Should I go to University of California Los Angeles or University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UCLA or Illinois is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of California Los Angeles vs. University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign comparison
University of California Los Angeles University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign College 3 College 4
University of California Los Angeles University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign
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Overview

 UCLA Illinois
Location Los Angeles, CA Champaign, IL
Setting Large City Small City
Enrollment 46,430 56,916
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #58 #106
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucla.edu illinois.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UCLA Illinois
Tuition (In State) $11,564 $12,474
Tuition (Out of State) $41,636 $30,446
Room & Board $17,231 $12,720
Avg Net Price $16,999 $14,544
Avg Grant Aid $21,766 $16,552
% Receiving Grant Aid 46% 54%

Admission

 UCLA Illinois
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 149,801 63,257
Admitted 12,845 28,354
Acceptance Rate 8.6% 44.8%
Enrolled % 50.3% 28.1%
Avg High School GPA 3.92 3.79
Typical High School Grades A- A-
Admissions Standards Elite Exceptional
Applicant Competition Extreme Low
ACT Range 29/35 29/34
SAT Range 1300/1530 1320/1510
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2024 Jan 5, 2025

Academics

 UCLA Illinois
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (9%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • History (7%)
  • Engineering (16%)
  • Business (13%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Communication (8%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 UCLA Illinois
Graduation Rate 90% 82%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $70,700 $66,500
Making Student Loan Payments 78% 78%
Median Student Loan Debt $16,300 $20,500
Median Loan Payment $168 $211

Diversity

 UCLA Illinois
% Men 43% 54%
% Women 57% 46%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 27% 48%
% Black 3% 6%
% Hispanic 21% 10%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 5% 3%
% International 13% 16%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

 UCLA Illinois
% In-State 77% 71%
% Out-of-State 15% 11%

Campus

 UCLA Illinois
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No Yes
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is larger than than UCLA based on total student enrollment (56,916 students vs. 46,430 students)

UCLA vs. Illinois Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UCLA or Illinois?

  • University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign is 7.9% more expensive to attend than UCLA for in-state tuition ($12,474.00 vs. $11,564.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 36.8% higher at UCLA than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign ($41,636.00 vs. $30,446.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign than UCLA ($14,544 vs. $16,999)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign are 35.5% lower than costs at University of California Los Angeles ($12,720 vs. $17,231)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign than University of California Los Angeles (54% vs. 46%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Los Angeles students is 31.5% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign ($21,766 vs. $16,552)

UCLA vs. Illinois Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UCLA or Illinois? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Illinois or UCLA .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Los Angeles (1339) is 34 points higher than at Illinois (1305)
  • Incoming UCLA students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at Illinois (29)
  • Accepted freshman UCLA students have a 0.13 point higher average high school GPA (3.92) than students at Illinois (3.79)
  • Illinois has a higher acceptance rate (44.8%) than UCLA (8.6%)

UCLA vs. Illinois Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UCLA or Illinois? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between Illinois and UCLA.

  • The graduation rate at UCLA is higher than University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign (90% vs. 82%)
  • Graduates from University of California Los Angeles earn on average $4,200 more per year than Illinois graduates after ten years. ($70,700 vs. $66,500)
  • University of California Los Angeles students graduate with a $4,200 lower median federal student loan debt than Illinois graduates. ($16,300 vs. $20,500)
  • UCLA graduates are paying $43 less per month on federal student loans than Illinois graduates. ($168 vs. $211)
  • More UCLA graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former Illinois students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 78%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/