UIC vs. UH

Should I go to University of Illinois at Chicago or University of Houston? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UIC or UH 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 Illinois at Chicago vs. University of Houston comparison
University of Illinois at Chicago University of Houston College 3 College 4
University of Illinois at Chicago University of Houston
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Overview

UIC UH
Location Chicago, IL Houston, TX
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 33,747 46,700
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #234 #452
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uic.edu uh.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UIC UH
Tuition (In State) $10,970 $8,685
Tuition (Out of State) $25,578 $20,877
Room & Board $14,400 $10,418
Avg Net Price $10,384 $14,056
Avg Grant Aid $13,813 $11,457
% Receiving Grant Aid 73% 75%

Admission

UIC UH
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 23,562 29,783
Admitted 18,541 19,728
Acceptance Rate 78.7% 66.2%
Enrolled % 22.9% 28.2%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.46
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Difficult
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 24/30 23/29
SAT Range 1110/1340 1160/1330
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025 May 31, 2025

Academics

UIC UH
Student to Faculty Ratio 18:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Business (30%)
  • Psychology (8%)
  • Social Sciences (7%)
  • Communication (7%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

UIC UH
Graduation Rate 54% 46%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,900 $59,000
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 61%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,750 $19,750
Median Loan Payment $193 $204

Diversity

UIC UH
% Men 44% 48%
% Women 56% 52%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 34% 26%
% Black 8% 10%
% Hispanic 28% 32%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 2% 5%
% Unknown Race 2% 1%

Students

UIC UH
% In-State 88% 93%
% Out-of-State 5% 3%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Houston is larger than than UIC based on total student enrollment (46,700 students vs. 33,747 students)

UIC vs. UH Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UIC or UH?

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is 26.3% more expensive to attend than UH for in-state tuition ($10,970.00 vs. $8,685.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 22.5% higher at UIC than University of Houston ($25,578.00 vs. $20,877.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than UH ($10,384 vs. $14,056)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Houston are 38.2% lower than costs at University of Illinois at Chicago ($10,418 vs. $14,400)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Houston than University of Illinois at Chicago (75% vs. 73%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Illinois at Chicago students is 20.6% larger than aid received University of Houston ($13,813 vs. $11,457)

UIC vs. UH Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of Houston (1154) is 62 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming UH students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at UIC (24)
  • Accepted freshman UH students have a 0.05 point higher average high school GPA (3.46) than students at UIC (3.41)
  • UIC has a higher acceptance rate (78.7%) than UH (66.2%)

UIC vs. UH Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UIC or UH? 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 UH and UIC.

  • The graduation rate at UIC is higher than University of Houston (54% vs. 46%)
  • Graduates from University of Illinois at Chicago earn on average $2,900 more per year than UH graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $59,000)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago students graduate with a $1,000 lower median federal student loan debt than UH graduates. ($18,750 vs. $19,750)
  • UIC graduates are paying $11 less per month on federal student loans than UH graduates. ($193 vs. $204)
  • More UIC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UH students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 61%)

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