CHAMPAIGN, Ill. – The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign has welcomed a record-breaking freshman class for the 2023-24 academic year, with 8,325 new students enrolling this fall, up from 8,303 in 2021. This surge pushed total undergraduate enrollment to 35,467, an all-time high. Total student enrollment now stands at 56,403.
This milestone follows a surge in applications, with 67,398 prospective students vying for a spot, compared to 63,257 last year. Remarkably, 6,150 of these freshmen are from Illinois, constituting 74% of the class, breaking a two-decade-old record.
Chancellor Robert J. Jones said, “The future of our state is a very, very bright shade of orange.”
The freshman class is diverse, with 22% from underrepresented groups. Among them, 1,251 self-identify as Hispanic, 449 as African American, and 348 as multi-race. The gender ratio is an even 50-50 split.
Nearly one in four students is a first-generation college student, and 20% qualified for a financial hardship fee waiver. The class maintains high academic standards with an average ACT score of 31.5 and an average SAT score of 1418. ACT and SAT scores were optional this year.
John Coleman, vice chancellor for academic affairs, said, “Our university continues to attract the brightest and most talented students.”
The university also welcomed a significant number of transfer students, and graduate student enrollment remains robust, offering a diverse and promising future for the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
