The University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) admission requirements for international students are clear and fairly standard: apply through the Common App, pay $170 ($70 application fee plus a $100 international evaluation fee), send official secondary school records with certified translations, and prove your English with TOEFL, IELTS or PTE unless you qualify for a waiver. SAT and ACT scores are optional. For fall 2027, the Early Action deadline is 2 November 2026 and Regular Decision closes on 1 February 2027.
UIC’s main merit awards for first-years are restricted to US citizens, permanent residents or Illinois residents, and UIC does not advertise an automatic merit scholarship for incoming international students. Plan to pay close to the full cost, which is about $47,000 or more a year. This guide covers the acceptance rate, the 2026-27 costs, what funding does exist, English rules, essays and deadlines, all checked on UIC pages on 29 October 2026.
UIC ranking
In the U.S. News 2026 Best Colleges edition (published September 2025), UIC is tied at #84 among National Universities and ranked #42 among public universities, according to UIC Today. The U.S. News page could not be loaded for this guide, and UIC had not published its position in the 2027 edition when we checked, so confirm the newer number on U.S. News before quoting it.
UIC is also ranked by U.S. News as one of the leading public universities for social mobility, and its bachelor’s in nursing was tied for sixth nationally in the 2026 edition, according to UIC Today.
UIC acceptance rate and class profile
UIC’s 2025-26 Common Data Set could not be opened for this guide, so the official acceptance rate for fall 2025 is not given here. College Board’s BigFuture profile lists UIC at 20,951 admitted out of 27,085 applicants, an acceptance rate of about 77%, but it does not say which cycle those numbers come from. The University of Illinois System’s own report on fall 2025 freshmen gives these figures:
| Fall 2025 new freshmen at UIC (U of I System report) | Figure |
|---|---|
| New freshmen enrolled | 5,405 |
| International freshmen | 256 (4.7%) |
| SAT total, middle 50% (2,500 submitters) | 1025 to 1300 (median 1170) |
| ACT composite, middle 50% (225 submitters) | 24 to 31 (median 27) |
UIC is a large campus: more than 35,800 students across 16 colleges and schools, according to the University of Illinois System. With 256 international freshmen in one year, you will not be alone, but you will be part of a small group in a class that is mostly from Illinois.
UIC tuition for international students in 2026-27
The University of Illinois System charges international undergraduates a slightly higher base tuition than other out-of-state students. Its latest published figures are for 2025-26:
| Cost item (UIC, 2025-26, general programmes) | Amount |
|---|---|
| Base tuition, international students | $29,312 |
| Base tuition, US nonresidents (for comparison) | $27,526 |
| Mandatory fees (excluding health insurance) | $3,228 |
| Typical double room and board | $14,130 |
| Subtotal before books, insurance and personal costs | $46,670 |
For students starting in fall 2026, the trustees approved increases of 2% to 3.3% for most nonresident and international students, which would put international base tuition at roughly $29,900 to $30,300 (our calculation). Engineering, business, nursing and some other programmes add a differential on top of base tuition, so check your college’s figure before you budget.
UIC scholarships for international students
UIC’s scholarship pages set these rules for each award:
- Merit Tuition Award: for out-of-state students who are US citizens or permanent residents. International students are not eligible.
- President’s Award Program and Chancellor’s Fellows (AIM HIGH): require Illinois residency. International students are not eligible.
- Lake County (Indiana) and Tribal Nation tuition awards: limited to those residents and tribal members.
- College awards: the College of Engineering lists the Women in Engineering (WIEP) scholarship of $5,000, $15,000, $20,000 or $30,000 for admitted women with a 3.2+ GPA, and the Greer Scholarship of up to $5,000, renewable. Honors College scholarships are decided through its application and interview. UIC’s pages do not say whether international students qualify for these, so ask the college before counting on them.
- Laurette Kirstein Scholarship for International Students: seven awards of $5,000 for international students with academic excellence, run by the Office of International Services. It is an award for students already at UIC, with an application window in February.
- Small international student awards: the Chicago Consular Corps Professional Development Award (up to $1,000) and the International Student Ambassador Service Award ($500).
UIC does not give need-based aid to international students, and the federal FAFSA is not open to them. In practice, international first-years at UIC fund themselves, use a home-country or employer sponsor, or win external scholarships.
Funding warning
UIC’s out-of-state Merit Tuition Award is limited to US citizens and permanent residents, and the Illinois awards need state residency. If you need a scholarship to study in the US, apply to UIC alongside universities that offer automatic international merit awards.
UIC admission requirements for international students: the application
- Application: Common App only. The $70 application fee and $100 international evaluation fee are paid on submission, and fee waivers are open only to domestic applicants.
- Academic records: official transcripts and marksheets in sealed envelopes from your school. If a school cannot issue new copies, an attested photocopy sent in a school-sealed envelope is accepted.
- Translations: certified translations from an ATA-certified translator for anything not in English.
- Course descriptions: a syllabus or course descriptions for international coursework, in English.
- English proficiency: a test score or a waiver (below).
- Essays: UIC’s essay questions appear under “My Colleges” in the Common App.
- Test scores (optional): SAT or ACT, reviewed if provided.
Do not send original documents; UIC keeps everything you send.
UIC publishes the GPA ranges of students it admitted for fall 2024. These are not cut-offs, but they show what a competitive record looks like, especially for international applicants whose grades are converted:
| College (admitted fall 2024, unweighted GPA, middle 50%) | Test-optional applicants | With test scores |
|---|---|---|
| Engineering | 3.5 to 3.9 | 3.6 to 4.0 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences | 3.3 to 3.8 | 3.3 to 3.9 |
| Business Administration | 3.2 to 3.7 | 3.3 to 3.8 |
| Architecture, Design and the Arts | 3.2 to 3.8 | 3.4 to 3.9 |
| Applied Health Sciences | 3.1 to 3.7 | 3.2 to 3.9 |
| Public Health | 3.1 to 3.6 | 3.5 to 4.0 |
| Education | 3.0 to 3.7 | 2.9 to 3.7 |
| Urban Planning and Public Affairs | 3.0 to 3.7 | 3.1 to 3.7 |
Testing policy
The SAT and ACT are “not required for admission but will be reviewed if provided”. If you submit, UIC needs an official score report, or scores printed on your school transcript. UIC does not accept superscores, so it reads each test sitting on its own. AP and IB scores are optional too.
English requirements
| Test | Overall minimum | Section minimums |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT (taken before 21 January 2026) | 80 | Reading 19, Listening 17, Speaking 20, Writing 21 |
| TOEFL iBT (new scale, from 21 January 2026) | 4.5 | Reading 4, Listening 4, Speaking 4.5, Writing 4.5 |
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 | 6.0 in each band |
| PTE Academic | 54 | Reading 51, Listening 47, Speaking 53, Writing 56 |
Scores must be no more than two years old, and some colleges ask for more. UIC’s catalog and admissions pages do not list the Duolingo English Test, so do not rely on it without written confirmation from UIC. Send TOEFL scores with code 1851.
You can skip the test if you meet one of UIC’s waiver conditions:
- Study in an English-speaking country: two consecutive years of full-time high school or university study in a country where English is the only official language.
- Work: at least 12 consecutive months of full-time work in such a country, confirmed by your employer. Remote work from elsewhere does not count.
- Test sections: SAT reading and writing 570+ or ACT English 24+.
- School exams: AP English Language 4+, IB English Language and Literature 5+, or IGCSE or O-level with at least five subjects graded A, B or C.
Being taught in English at a school in a country where English is not the sole official language does not, on its own, waive the requirement. Nigeria and Ghana, for example, list English as their official language, but check UIC’s country rules before you rely on that. If you cannot take the usual tests, UIC’s Tutorium in Intensive English (TIE) offers its own assessment.
UIC Global: an alternative route
If your grades or English fall short of direct entry, UIC runs UIC Global with the education company Shorelight. It has three tracks: International Direct (minimum GPA 3.0, or 3.5 for computer science, data science and computer science plus design), the two-semester Academic Accelerator (GPA 2.5) and a three-semester Extended Accelerator (GPA 2.5). Pathway students move into UIC degree programmes once they meet the progression rules. Pathway fees are set separately, so compare them carefully with direct admission.
UIC deadlines for fall 2027
| Date | What it is for |
|---|---|
| 1 August 2026 | Applications opened |
| 2 November 2026 | First-year Early Action (non-binding); Honors College priority; Business Scholars priority; GPPA; scholarship priority |
| 15 December 2026 | Early Action decisions expected by this date |
| 1 February 2027 | First-year Regular Decision; Honors College and Business Scholars final deadline |
| December 2026 to March 2027 | Regular Decision results released |
UIC says applications and documents must be electronically dated or postmarked by the deadline, and that items can take time to appear on your checklist. International documents sent by courier take longer, so send them two to three weeks early. The 15 December decision date comes from UIC’s first-year requirements page, which gives the day but no year.
How to write the UIC essays
UIC’s essay questions sit inside the Common App, and UIC tells applicants exactly what it reads them for: the quality of your writing, your academic interest, and any circumstances that affected your high school results. Honors College and Guaranteed Professional Program Admissions (GPPA) applicants write an extra essay for each programme.
- Write about your intended field: show what you have done in it, not only that you like it.
- Make Chicago part of the story: UIC is a city campus with a large medical centre and strong ties to Chicago employers; say how that fits your plans.
- Explain context once: a school closure, a grading change, family duties. UIC says it considers these.
- Edit for clean English: writing quality is the first thing UIC lists, and for an international applicant the essay doubles as evidence of English.
A sample opening, for illustration only: “My father’s pharmacy in Kumasi ran out of insulin twice last year, and both times the problem was a missing number in a spreadsheet, not a missing drug.”
What happens after you apply
- Checklist: track missing items in your UIC applicant portal.
- Decision: Early Action applicants hear by mid-December; Regular Decision results arrive between December and March.
- Accept and deposit: confirm your place by the date in your offer.
- Financial proof and I-20: submit financial documents through the Office of International Services, which issues the I-20.
- Visa: pay the SEVIS fee and book an F-1 visa interview.
- Arrival and placement: take any placement tests and complete international orientation.
Common mistakes international applicants make with UIC
- Counting on the Merit Tuition Award: it is for US citizens and permanent residents.
- Paying only $70: international applicants pay $170 in total, and fee waivers are not available to them.
- Sending superscores: UIC does not accept them.
- Assuming English-medium school waives the test: it does not on its own.
- Skipping Early Action: the 2 November date is also the scholarship and honors priority date, and Early Action is non-binding.
- Sending originals: documents are not returned.
Costs to plan for beyond tuition
- Health insurance: international students must carry health insurance that meets UIC’s rules; confirm the current premium with UIC before you budget.
- Housing in Chicago: a typical double room with a meal plan was $14,130 for 2025-26; off-campus rent in Chicago can be higher.
- Winter: Chicago winters are long and cold; budget for a proper coat and boots.
- Travel and visa: flights, the SEVIS fee and the visa fee.
- Summer: if you stay in Chicago, rent and food continue for 12 months.
- Programme differentials: engineering, business, nursing and some other programmes charge extra tuition on top of the base rate.
Majors, campus and city
UIC is Chicago’s largest university and the city campus of the University of Illinois System, set just west of the Loop. It has colleges of engineering, business, liberal arts and sciences, architecture, design and the arts, applied health sciences, education, urban planning and public affairs, nursing, pharmacy, public health, dentistry and medicine. Health sciences are a major strength; UIC runs one of the largest medical schools in the US and its own hospital. Computer science, engineering and nursing draw many international students.
Living in Chicago gives you trains and buses into the city, a large job and internship market, and big immigrant communities from Africa, Asia and Latin America. It also means city rents and a hard winter.
UIC graduate admissions in brief
Graduate applications go through the UIC Graduate College, programme by programme. Deadlines, English minimums and test rules vary by department, and many graduate programmes publish higher English requirements than undergraduate admissions. PhD students are usually funded through assistantships or fellowships; most master’s students pay their own way, and UIC Global also runs a Graduate Direct route with Shorelight for some master’s programmes.
UIC compared with similar public universities
UIC is cheaper than Pitt or Arizona before aid, but it is the only university in this group with no automatic merit award for international freshmen.
| University | Acceptance rate | Yearly cost for internationals (2026-27 unless noted) | Merit aid for internationals | Key fall 2027 date | Our guide |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pittsburgh | About 59% (2025-26 CDS) | About $67,100 (Dietrich, before insurance) | Up to $10,000 a year | Rolling; scholarship by 1 Feb 2027 | University of Pittsburgh guide |
| University of Arizona | About 84% overall, about 50% international | $67,083 | Global Wildcat Award, $4,000 to $20,000 a year | 1 Nov 2026 (Early Action) | University of Arizona guide |
| UT Dallas | 69% overall, 54% international (2025-26 CDS) | $60,596 (on campus) | AES, amount varies, plus in-state tuition | 1 Dec 2026 (priority) | UT Dallas guide |
| University of Illinois Chicago | About 77% (College Board) | About $46,700 (2025-26, before books and insurance) | No automatic international award | 2 Nov 2026 (Early Action) | This guide |
| University of South Florida | About 41% (2025-26 CDS) | About $42,500 | Green and Gold, $5,000 to $11,000 a year | 2 Nov 2026 (Early Action) | University of South Florida guide |
Who should apply to UIC
Apply if you can fund your degree without a university scholarship, want a city campus in one of the largest US job markets, and are interested in health sciences, engineering, computing or business. UIC’s test-optional policy and published GPA ranges make it a clear target for a good student.
Look elsewhere first if you need merit money. Universities with automatic international merit awards, such as the University of Arizona or Pitt, will cost you less, and our list of the best American scholarships for international students covers fully funded options. If you want an Illinois flagship, compare our UIUC admission guide.
FAQ on UIC admission for international students
What is the UIC acceptance rate for international students?
UIC does not publish a separate international rate, and its 2025-26 Common Data Set was not available when we checked. College Board lists an overall rate of about 77%, and 256 international freshmen enrolled in fall 2025.
Does UIC give scholarships to international students?
UIC has no automatic merit scholarship for incoming international first-years; its Merit Tuition Award is for US citizens and permanent residents. Current international students can apply for the Laurette Kirstein Scholarship, seven awards of $5,000 a year.
How much is UIC tuition for international students?
International base tuition was $29,312 for 2025-26, and fall 2026 entrants face increases of 2% to 3.3%. With fees and a typical room and board plan, budget at least $47,000 a year before books, insurance and programme differentials.
Does UIC accept Duolingo or require the SAT for international students?
UIC lists TOEFL, IELTS and PTE but not Duolingo, so check with admissions before using it. The SAT and ACT are optional.
Sources and updates
Application rules, fees, testing policy, essays and GPA ranges come from UIC Undergraduate Admissions’ first-year requirements page and its international applicant page. Fall 2027 deadlines come from UIC’s deadlines page and the School of Public Health’s application page. English minimums come from the UIC undergraduate catalog. Scholarship rules come from UIC’s first-year scholarships page, the need and merit programs page and the Office of International Services. Tuition comes from the University of Illinois System’s FY27 student cost report (2025-26 figures) and reporting on the 2026-27 tuition vote. Fall 2025 freshman figures come from the U of I System’s freshman characteristics report; the acceptance rate is from College Board BigFuture. The U.S. News 2026 edition rank is from UIC Today (23 September 2025). Checked on 29 October 2026; this guide will be updated when UIC publishes its 2025-26 Common Data Set and 2026-27 cost tables.
I am Jude Chinecherem, a final-year MBBS student at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka. I know what it feels like to want an education your family cannot afford. When my parents could not pay for my schooling, I had to learn how to find scholarships and work the system out on my own, with nobody to guide me. I came out the other side, and now I share everything I learned so the next student does not have to figure it out alone. This is the advice I wish someone had given me back then.
