Computer Science at UIUC: A College Applicant’s Guide

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign (UIUC) stands as a bastion of academic rigor and innovative spirit in the Midwest, especially through its top-tier programs in Computer Science (CS) and Computer Engineering (CE) through the renowned Siebel School at the Grainger College of Engineering. UIUC’s CS program is consistently ranked among the best in the nation, boasting exceptional strength in artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, data science, and software engineering.

A Legacy of Excellence

At the heart of UIUC’s reputation in technology is the Grainger College of Engineering, home to extraordinarily selective CS and CE programs—both ranked in the top five nationwide with an admission rate of less than 7%. These rigorous programs have long set the standard for producing industry leaders and innovators across the country.

Students attending these programs are immersed in a dynamic environment where theoretical foundations and real-world applications converge, ensuring they are well-prepared to tackle even the most daunting challenges presented by modern computing.

Understanding UIUC’s Competitiveness

While 7% is slightly less selective than the several higher-ranked programs, don’t let that statistic mislead you: UIUC has far more seats than other top programs, meaning that their 7% is still representative of the best and brightest. UIUC has over 1,500 seats available, while Stanford, CMU, and MIT each have substantially less than half that number.  

Of course, that makes sense when you have a total student population of almost 60,000 students! Unlike other top programs, UIUC is able to aggressively expand its offerings in an attempt to meet the rapidly growing number of brilliant applicants they receive each year. 

Recognizing the unique opportunity this situation presents, UIUC expanded on these 1,500+ seats with hundreds more across 14 different interdisciplinary courses: Animal Sciences, Crop Sciences, Bioengineering, Physics, Education, Music, Anthropology, Astronomy, Chemistry, Economics, Geography, Linguistics, Philosophy, and Advertising. 

Strategic Insights

These interdisciplinary offerings are a part of the CS + X program, an initiative to expand access to the cutting edge of technological education. While their core offerings in CS are still run through the Grainger College of Engineering, the program collaborates with faculty across UIUC to explore the intersections of Computer Science and other academic fields. 

The upside? These programs are less than half as competitive, at an 18.5% acceptance rate as of the last college applications cycle on record, while still offering the same prestige and rigor of a classical UIUC Computer Science course. 

Students looking for a premier degree in this field can take advantage of that gap by applying CS+X, and with so many interdisciplinary options to choose from, there is bound to be a secondary option that aligns with your interests and extracurricular activities as well! 

Conclusion

It’s rare to find a program so accessible that carries this much weight in terms of college reputation. Don’t miss out on the opportunity to radically improve your admissions chances by considering UIUC’s innovative CS + X program.

Not sure how to explore an interdisciplinary option? We’ve got you covered. Pathivy has experts at college applications strategy who can help position your application to reflect one of these alternative program options.