UIC vs. UNC Charlotte

Should I go to University of Illinois at Chicago or University of North Carolina at Charlotte? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UIC or UNC Charlotte 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 North Carolina at Charlotte comparison
University of Illinois at Chicago University of North Carolina at Charlotte College 3 College 4
University of Illinois at Chicago University of North Carolina at Charlotte
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Overview

 UIC UNC Charlotte
Location Chicago, IL Charlotte, NC
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 33,522 30,298
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #198 #547
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uic.edu uncc.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UIC UNC Charlotte
Tuition (In State) $11,178 $3,812
Tuition (Out of State) $26,200 $18,474
Room & Board $14,600 $13,864
Avg Net Price $11,499 $13,768
Avg Grant Aid $15,421 $8,150
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 58%

Admission

 UIC UNC Charlotte
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,420 22,699
Admitted 19,955 18,208
Acceptance Rate 78.5% 80.2%
Enrolled % 23.3% 24.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.57
Typical High School Grades B+ B+
Admissions Standards Very High Challenging
Applicant Competition
ACT Range 25/32 21/27
SAT Range 1120/1340 1110/1320
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, 2026 Jun 1, 2026

Academics

 UIC UNC Charlotte
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 21:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Business (21%)
  • Social Sciences (8%)
  • Engineering (7%)
  • Education (7%)
  • Psychology (7%)

Outcomes

 UIC UNC Charlotte
Graduation Rate 54% 53%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,900 $48,600
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 61%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,750 $23,000
Median Loan Payment $193 $237

Diversity

 UIC UNC Charlotte
% Men 14% 8%
% Women 20% 13%
Racial Diversity Very High High
HBCU No No
% White 34% 60%
% Black 8% 17%
% Hispanic 28% 9%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 4%
% International 2% 2%
% Unknown Race 2% 3%

Students

 UIC UNC Charlotte
% In-State 89% 90%
% Out-of-State 4% 8%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is larger than than UNC Charlotte based on total student enrollment (33,522 students vs. 30,298 students)

UIC vs. UNC Charlotte Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UIC or UNC Charlotte?

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is 193.2% more expensive to attend than UNC Charlotte for in-state tuition ($11,178.00 vs. $3,812.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 41.8% higher at UIC than University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($26,200.00 vs. $18,474.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than UNC Charlotte ($11,499 vs. $13,768)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of North Carolina at Charlotte are 5.3% lower than costs at University of Illinois at Chicago ($13,864 vs. $14,600)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Illinois at Chicago than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (72% vs. 58%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Illinois at Chicago students is 89.2% larger than aid received University of North Carolina at Charlotte ($15,421 vs. $8,150)

UIC vs. UNC Charlotte Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at University of North Carolina at Charlotte (1093) is 1 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming UIC students have at the same average ACT score (24) as students at UNC Charlotte (24)
  • Accepted freshman UNC Charlotte students have a 0.16 point higher average high school GPA (3.57) than students at UIC (3.41)
  • UNC Charlotte has a higher acceptance rate (80.2%) than UIC (78.5%)

UIC vs. UNC Charlotte Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UIC or UNC Charlotte? 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 UNC Charlotte and UIC.

  • The graduation rate at UIC is higher than University of North Carolina at Charlotte (54% vs. 53%)
  • Graduates from University of Illinois at Chicago earn on average $13,300 more per year than UNC Charlotte graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $48,600)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago students graduate with a $4,250 lower median federal student loan debt than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($18,750 vs. $23,000)
  • UIC graduates are paying $44 less per month on federal student loans than UNC Charlotte graduates. ($193 vs. $237)
  • More UIC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UNC Charlotte 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/