University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Overview

Founded in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana–Champaign is the flagship campus of the University of Illinois and the second oldest public university in the state, following Illinois State University. It is made up of 17 colleges offering nearly 150 different degree programs and spans a 4,500-acre campus with 647 buildings. As one of the original 37 public land-grant institutions established under the Morrill Act of 1862, signed by Abraham Lincoln, the university has a strong historical foundation. Its libraries house one of the largest collections in the United States, with approximately 13 million volumes spread across nearly 40 library sites.

The university boasts 11 Nobel Prize winners among its alumni, as well as 18 Pulitzer Prize winners. Its Krannert Center for the Performing Arts includes four theatres with a total seating capacity of 4,000 and hosts around 350 performances annually, featuring both student and professional productions. The Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion showcase nearly 10,000 works of art, while the Spurlock Museum holds 46,000 artifacts from around the globe.

With 23 residence halls, the university can accommodate over 8,500 students. The institution is located in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana, which together have a population of around 207,000. These cities are situated approximately 180 miles north of St. Louis and 140 miles south of Chicago.