University of Illinois Chicago

Chicago, Illinois, United States · Est. 1913 · Research University

Chicago's largest university with 35,000+ students across 16 colleges and world-class research.

  • Founded 1913 as consolidated institution; traces origins to health colleges from 1859
  • Public research university (R1: Doctoral Universities – Very high research activity)
  • 35,869 students (fall 2025): 24,260 undergraduates, 11,609 postgraduates
  • Located on Near West Side of Chicago; 244-acre campus with East and West divisions
  • 16 colleges including Medicine, Engineering, Law, Pharmacy, Dentistry, Nursing, and Business
  • Largest university in Chicago metropolitan area; $527.9M endowment (2025)

Academics

UIC operates 16 colleges offering undergraduate, graduate, and doctoral programs across engineering, computer science, medicine, dentistry, pharmacy, law, management, sciences, and humanities. The university is classified as R1: Doctoral Universities with very high research activity. The College of Medicine offers a four-year MD program at three Illinois sites: Chicago, Peoria, and Rockford. A new College of Engineering building opened in 2019, and a Computer Design Research and Learning Center (CDRLC) is under construction with a $117.8 million budget, slated for completion fall 2024.

Campus & Student Life

The East Campus, designed in brutalist style by Walter Netsch, is located on the Near West Side just south of Greektown and 15 minutes from downtown Chicago. The West Campus houses health science colleges and the Illinois Medical Center. UIC offers ten residence halls with approximately 3,800 students living on campus, including over half of all freshmen. The Student Recreation Facility features a three-story climbing wall, pool with lazy river, and multipurpose courts. Three CTA Blue Line stations serve the campus, with additional Pink Line access to the West Campus.

Admissions

UIC enrolled its second-largest freshman class with 40% first-generation students. The university offers $0 tuition and fees for families earning $75,000 or less. Ranked in the top 40 public universities by U.S. News & World Report, UIC attracts students from across Illinois and beyond through regular and transfer admission pathways.

History & Development

UIC traces its origins to late 19th-century health colleges: Chicago College of Pharmacy (1859), College of Physicians and Surgeons (1882), and Columbian College of Dentistry (1893). After World War II, the Navy Pier campus opened in 1946 to serve G.I. Bill veterans. The permanent Congress Circle campus opened in February 1965 and consolidated with the Medical Center in 1982. In 2019, John Marshall Law School affiliated with UIC; the law school was renamed UIC School of Law in 2021.

Founded
1913
Type
Research University
Courses
10
Total intake
Not yet verified
AffiliationUniversity of Illinois System
Websitehttps://uic.edu
HousingNot available
Some details are still being verified.

Quick stats

Courses offered
10
Avg career outcomes
$68.7K
Total intake
Not yet verified
Housing
No
Data last verified June 2026 · compiled from official sources