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IU Loyola Virginia Tech Illinois IIT Rose-Hulman Wisconsin UT Austin Ohio State UCSD Iowa NC State| University of Illinois at Chicago | Purdue University Main Campus | College 3 | College 4 | |
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Overview |
UIC | Purdue | ||
| Location | Chicago, IL | West Lafayette, IN | ||
| Setting | Large City | Midsize Suburban | ||
| Enrollment | 33,522 | 52,905 | ||
| Type | Public 4 Year | Public 4 Year | ||
| National Ranking | #198 | #103 | ||
| Religious Affiliation | - | - | - | - |
| Status | Non-profit | Non-profit | ||
| Website | uic.edu | purdue.edu | ||
| Team Colors |
Costs |
UIC | Purdue | ||
| Tuition (In State) | $11,178 | $9,718 | ||
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| Tuition (Out of State) | $26,200 | $28,520 | ||
| Room & Board | $14,600 | $11,650 | ||
| Avg Net Price | $11,499 | $12,421 | ||
| Avg Grant Aid | $15,421 | $11,126 | ||
| % Receiving Grant Aid | 72% | 39% |
Admission |
UIC | Purdue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Admission Chances | Calculate | Calculate | ||
| Applied | 25,420 | 73,083 | ||
| Admitted | 19,955 | 36,763 | ||
| Acceptance Rate | 78.5% | 50.3% | ||
| Enrolled % | 23.3% | 25.5% | ||
| Avg High School GPA | 3.41 | 3.67 | ||
| Typical High School Grades | B+ | B+ | ||
| Admissions Standards | Very High | Exceptional | ||
| Applicant Competition | Low | |||
| ACT Range | 25/32 | 27/34 | ||
| SAT Range | 1120/1340 | 1190/1460 | ||
| Submit Test Scores | Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) | Required to be considered for admission | ||
| Application Deadline | Feb 1, 2026 |
Academics |
UIC | Purdue | ||
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| Student to Faculty Ratio | 17:1 | 14:1 | ||
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Outcomes |
UIC | Purdue | ||
| Graduation Rate | 54% | 68% | ||
| Median Earnings (After 10 years) | $61,900 | $61,200 | ||
| Making Student Loan Payments | 68% | 78% | ||
| Median Student Loan Debt | $18,750 | $21,500 | ||
| Median Loan Payment | $193 | $222 |
Diversity |
UIC | Purdue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % Men | 14% | 15% | ||
| % Women | 20% | 10% | ||
| Racial Diversity | Very High | Medium | ||
| HBCU | No | No | ||
| % White | 34% | 65% | ||
| % Black | 8% | 3% | ||
| % Hispanic | 28% | 4% | ||
| % Native American | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Pacific Islander | 0% | 0% | ||
| % Two or More Races | 3% | 2% | ||
| % International | 2% | 17% | ||
| % Unknown Race | 2% | 2% |
Students |
UIC | Purdue | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| % In-State | 89% | 46% | ||
| % Out-of-State | 4% | 44% | ||
Campus |
UIC | Purdue | ||
| Campus Housing | Yes | Yes | ||
| Freshman Dorm Required | No | No | ||
| Meal Plan | Yes | Yes | ||
| Weekend/Evening Classes | No | No | ||
| Daycare Facility | Yes | Yes | ||
| Learn More | Details | Details |
Comparable Facts
- Purdue University Main Campus is larger than than UIC based on total student enrollment (52,905 students vs. 33,522 students)
UIC vs. Purdue Cost Comparison
Which college is more expensive, UIC or Purdue?
- University of Illinois at Chicago is 15% more expensive to attend than Purdue for in-state tuition ($11,178.00 vs. $9,718.00)
- Out of state tuition is 8.9% higher at Purdue than University of Illinois at Chicago ($28,520.00 vs. $26,200.00)
- The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than Purdue ($11,499 vs. $12,421)
- Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at Purdue University Main Campus are 25.3% lower than costs at University of Illinois at Chicago ($11,650 vs. $14,600)
- More students receive financial grant aid at University of Illinois at Chicago than Purdue University Main Campus (72% vs. 39%)
- The average total grant financial aid received by University of Illinois at Chicago students is 38.6% larger than aid received Purdue University Main Campus ($15,421 vs. $11,126)
UIC vs. Purdue Admissions Difficulty Comparison
Which college is harder to get into, UIC or Purdue? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between Purdue or UIC .
- The average SAT score at Purdue University Main Campus (1231) is 139 points higher than at UIC (1092)
- Incoming Purdue students have a 4 point higher average ACT score (28) than students at UIC (24)
- Accepted freshman Purdue students have a 0.26 point higher average high school GPA (3.67) than students at UIC (3.41)
- UIC has a higher acceptance rate (78.5%) than Purdue (50.3%)
UIC vs. Purdue Graduation Outcomes Comparison
Which is better, UIC or Purdue? 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 Purdue and UIC.
- The graduation rate at Purdue is higher than University of Illinois at Chicago (68% vs. 54%)
- Graduates from University of Illinois at Chicago earn on average $700 more per year than Purdue graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $61,200)
- University of Illinois at Chicago students graduate with a $2,750 lower median federal student loan debt than Purdue graduates. ($18,750 vs. $21,500)
- UIC graduates are paying $29 less per month on federal student loans than Purdue graduates. ($193 vs. $222)
- More Purdue graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UIC students, three years after graduation. (78% vs. 68%)
Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/