The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is steadily building its reputation as a stellar research institution. It has been recognized for its high research spending, and its experts have recently made headlines for studying everything from how dessert can help with weight loss goals to options for sustainable aviation fuel. The school offers more than 150 majors, including bioengineering, community health, media and cinema studies, and special education. Students also have access to the country's second-largest university library system. (Only Harvard's is larger.)
All that knowledge doesn't stamp out some old-fashioned superstition, though. As per campus tradition, generations of students have rubbed the nose on a campus bust of Abraham Lincoln for good luck before exams, and people who kiss at the Eternal Flame landmark are said to enjoy eternal bliss.
The University of Illinois System's flagship campus scores highly on Money's measures of affordability, with an estimated net price of a degree of roughly $113,000 (not including state and federal aid) for in-state students. While the vast majority of students are from Illinois, UIUC has one of the largest populations of international students of any public university, with nearly 20% of the student body hailing from outside the U.S.
Next time you're on campus, make sure to check out a performance by the Marching Illini, which composer John Philip Sousa once declared "the world's greatest college band.”
