• Year Established: 1867
• Location: Champaign, Illinois
• Number of Campuses: One 1,468-acre urban main campus
• Classification: Flagship university/Land, sea, space-grant
• Total Number of Enrollees: 41,938*

*Source: U.S. Department of Education, National Center for Education Statistics, 2005 Integrated Postsecondary Education Data System IPEDS, Spring 2006

A Brief Look into the History of University of Illinois

The funds for this facility were originally obtained as part of the Morill Act of 1862 which provided federal funds to each state around the country to establish a major university that would teach agriculture, mechanic arts, and military training. . There was initially a very difficult bidding war amongst the cities of Illinois as to the location of the campus. The first president of this noble university was John Milton Gregory.

Gregory wanted a university that had a strong grounding in the liberal arts but the interpretation of the federal Morill Act and the people of Illinois wanted more industrial based programs. There was quite a bit of disagreement that transpired for the focus of the university causing Gregory to eventually resign as president in 1880. But to this day, he is credited with helping the university maintain a more broad balance of curriculum. Gregory's grave is still located on the Urbana campus to honor his efforts.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus is part of the University of Illinois public educational system. It's actually a trio of campuses and aside from the Urbana-Champaign campus you’ll find campuses in Chicago and Springfield. In this review, we will focus specifically aon the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campus.

The university is an old one full of rich history, first established back in 1867. It was in 1867 when the Urbana campus' current location was chosen as the site for the Illinois Industrial University. The Urbana-Champaign campus is the largest and oldest among the three campuses included in the University of Illinois system.

It officially opened in March 2, 1868. 18 year later, the Illinois Industrial University was renamed University of Illinois. The Urbana-Champaign campus got its current name in 1982.

Today, the University of Illinois trio of campuses is tagged as among the top ten largest universities in the nation by undergraduate enrollment.

How the Educational System Works

When you visit the official website of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus – you will find their focus as an educational institution lies in being a world leader in research, teaching and public engagement.

Currently, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus is divided into the following colleges:

• College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences
• College of Applied Health Sciences
• College of Business
• College of Veterinary Medicine
• College of Education
• College of Engineering
• College of Fine and Applied Arts
• College of Law
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences
• College of Media
• College of Medicine at Urbana-Champaign
• Division of General Studies
• Graduate College
• Graduate School of Library and Information Science
• Institute of Aviation
• School of Labor and Employment Relations
• School of Social Work

Program Listings

If you are looking for a dynamic university to enroll offering students like you a tremendous leeway in terms of the courses that you can enroll in, you can't find a better place than the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus.

This university offer more than 150 undergraduate programs, as well as over 100 graduate and professional programs. Take a look at some of the majors being offered.

• College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences (ACES)
  - Agricultural and Environmental Communications and Education
  - Crop Sciences
  - Food Science and Human
  - Nutrition
  - Horticulture
  - Human Development and Family Studies
  - Natural Resources and Environmental Sciences
  - Technical Systems Management
• College of Applied Health Sciences (AHS)
  - Community Health
  - Kinesiology
  - Recreation, Sport and Tourism
  - Speech and Hearing Science
• Institute of Aviation (AVI)
  - Aviation Human Factors
  - Professional Pilot
• College of Business (BUS)
  - Accountancy
  - Business Administration
  - Business Process Management
  - Information Systems and Information Technology
  - Management
  - Marketing
  - Supply Chain Management
• College of Media (MDIA)
  - Advertising
  - Journalism
  - Media Studies
• College of Education (EDU)
  - Early Childhood Education
  - Elementary Education
  - Special Education
• College of Engineering (ENG)
  - Aerospace Engineering
  - Agricultural and Biological Engineering
  - Bioengineering
  - Civil Engineering
  - Computer Engineering
  - Electrical Engineering
  - General Engineering
  - Industrial Engineering
  - Materials Science and Engineering
  - Mechanical Engineering
  - Nuclear, Plasma and Radiological Engineering
• College of Fine and Applied Arts (FAA)
  - Architectural Studies
  - Graphic Design
  - Landscape Architecture
  - Music Education
  - Painting
  - Photography
  - Sculpture
  - Theatre
  - Urban and Regional Planning
• College of Liberal Arts and Sciences (LAS)
  - Actuarial Science
  - Biology Teaching
  - Comparative and World Literature
  - Earth Systems, Environment and Society
  - Linguistics
  - Political Science
  - Statistics and Computer Science
• LAS Specialized Curricula
  - Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering-LAS
  - Geology and Geophysics

Visit the official site of University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus for the complete listing of the graduate, undergraduate, joint degree, pre-professional and professional degrees they offer.

Advantages of Enrolling at University of Illinois

Being part of as large a campus as University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign campus does have its advantages. First, you can rest assured that the educational system works well and is considered to be top-ranked simply due to the sheer number of enrollees they attract each year.

This university has a premiere ranking from the US News & World Report, ranking Urbana-Champaign number 40 in the results listing of “best colleges in the nation.”

When you check the Student Reviews for this facility, the overall grade of the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a B+, with 68% of the student respondents saying that they would choose to return here.

A Glimpse at the Weather when Studying at University of Illinois

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located south of Chicago and west of Indiana. Being so far north, you’ll find summers relatively cool and dry with the summer season lasting from early June to late in August. This is definitely great news to those who are not used to extremely humid temperatures. During the month of October, the average weather is cloudy to clear. Of course the northern Chicago winters are rather harsh with lots of snow and ice, but nonetheless survivable.

Is There Any Downside to Enrolling at University of Illinois?

The one prevailing negative review you will find online about the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is the relatively loud noise level from students – but this is to be expected from university students who spend a lot of time indoors during harsh winter months.

A Final Word about the Quality of Education Offered by University of Illinois

All in all, University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign offers a big and beautiful campus, excellent resources of information, a highly-respected and skilled faculty and convenient transportation systems. If you want to be part of the oldest and biggest campus in Illinois, the Urbana-Champaign campus is the place to be.