Illinois Tech (IIT Chicago) or UIC: Which is better for studies in USA?

Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech) vs University of Illinois - Chicago (UIC)

Illinois Institute of Technology is a private research institution in Chicago. ranks in the top 5% USA universities in terms of return on investment.It is considered to be one of the top private universities in Illinois and has been continuously growing as per ranking terms.It offers a range of courses including Mechanical, Electrical, Biomedical Engineering and many more and is  ranked #443 and #401 in the world according to the QS World University Rankings and Times Higher Education.UIC ranks #317 in QS World University Ranking 2023. Amongst the US universities, QS places University of Illinois at Chicago at #36. International students are offered with 95 undergraduate degrees, 100 master's degrees, and 63 doctoral programs.

Overview Comparison
Illinois Institute of TechnologyUniversity of Illinois
Collegedunia Score4.1 Out of 105.4 Out of 10
ranking (overall)# 601 QS World University 2025
# 98 US News 2024
# 351 Times Higher Education 2024
# 365 QS World University 2025
# 82 US News 2024
# 151 QS World University 2024
Subject Strength# 121 for Engineering by US News 2024
# 99 for Law by US News 2024
# 73 for Engineering by US News 2024
# 58 for Medicine by US News 2024
# 159 for Law by US News 2024
ProgramsUG Programs -42
PG Programs -61
Doctorate Programs -4
UG Programs -89
PG Programs -58
Doctorate Programs -1
Acceptance Rate57.1 %73.6 %
Exam ScoreGRE-300
IELTS-6.5
PTE-63
SAT-1230
TOEFL-70
GMAT-600
GRE-299
IELTS-6.5
PTE-54
SAT-1080
TOEFL-80
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   48670
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  53262
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 24382 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   44758
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  28464
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 29000 Per Year
placement (average package)

Average salary 60,000 USD; Top recruiters: Enablon, Prada, Motorola Inc., Ferrovial Agroman, J.P. Morgan Chase & Co.; Masters in Science- 108,000 USD; Masters (Others)- 85,000 USD.


Graduate Employability: 161-170 (2020).
54.8% graduates were employed: Employed (2019 class). 
Top paying degrees: MS- $88,0000.
MBA: $80,000. BSc.: $70,000


application requirements

Academic transcripts; 2-3 LORs; Personal Statement; Resume (for Business & Clinical programs); Standardized test scores; Proof of English language proficiency

Applicants must have scores requirements: 66-91 (based on program). You are also required to fulfill country-specific requirements.

CollegeDunia Reviews7.4/10 Read 6 reviews6.7/10 Read 5 reviews
General Facts Comparison
General FactsIllinois Institute of TechnologyUniversity of Illinois
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1890
1867
Student:Faculty Ratio12:1
11:1
Male:Female69% Male, 31% Female49% Male, 50% Female
Location Facts

five campuses in the Chicago area. Miles Campus (main campus) located on Chicago's south side; 15 minutes from downtown and less a mile away from Lake Michigan.


Located among culturally rich neighborhoods of Pilsen, Chinatown, Southloop, Little Italy, West loop, Greektown, is a 15-minute walk from downtown Chicago. It is highly accessible through public transport stops. 


Library

over 1.8 million volumes (including books, journals, newspapers, videos, DVDs, maps, microforms, government documents, etc.); Electronic resources- full-text e-journals & e-books, over 100 online research databases, etc.


Total ebooks: 504,341. Databases: 634. Journals:60,000 are all housed together in 5 university libraries.  The library also has a special and university archives collectiom.


Campus Life

over 150 student clubs; 664+ campus events every year; 17 Varsity Sports Teams; Illinois Tech Esports; Academic Resource Center (ARC); Student Health and Wellness Center; International Center; Sports facilities- Keating Sports Center, Ed Glancy Field, Stuart Field, Chicago Lakefront Trail, Dunbar Park, XS Tennis, etc.


Chicago’s only public university offers a pop-up pantry, wellness center, a gallery, theatre, student-run radio show, NCAA competing sports teams to indulge in. IT hosts free back to school concert, free comedy show during spring, The university has over 300 student organizations offering a number of opportunities to chose from. 


Hostel#Room & Board - $10800
#Rooms - $6842
#Housing and Food Expenses - $14400
#Housing and Food Expenses - $14600
Famous Alumni

80,701 living alumni; Martin Cooper (Inventor of the mobile phone); Sanjay Kirloskar (Chairman & MD at Kirloskar Brothers Ltd.); Rajeev Chandrasekhar (MP, Member of the team which designed the Pentium chip, Founder of BPL Mobile); Jack Steinberger (Physicist); Helmut Jahn (American-German architect); Robert Pritzker (American businessman); Susan Solomon (Chemist); Art Paul (American graphic designer); Nandamuri Kalyan Ram (Indian Actor); Sherwood Anderson (American novelist)


Carol Moseley Braun (Former US Senator), Bernard Shaw (American Journalist), Bobby Rush (US representative), Justin Hartley (actor), Joanne McCarthy (baseball player), Adrian Smith (architect), Azhar Usman (Comedian), James Thompson (former governor Illinois). 


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