University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) vs The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV)

Envision yourself pursuing higher education in either the vibrant city of Chicago or the dynamic Rio Grande Valley. University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley (UTRGV) offer distinct experiences for students seeking academic excellence. UIC, nestled in the heart of Chicago, boasts a diverse student body and a wide range of programs, while UTRGV, located in the southernmost tip of Texas, prides itself on its affordability and strong focus on undergraduate education. With acceptance rates varying significantly, UIC being more selective, and UTRGV being more accessible, the choice between these two universities hinges on your academic aspirations, preferred campus environment, and desired location. Explore our comprehensive comparison table to delve into further details about these institutions, including popular majors, student demographics, graduation rates, and more, to help you make an informed decision that aligns with your unique goals and aspirations.

	The University of Texas Rio Grande Valley	University of Illinois Chicago
Overview
Location	Edinburg, Texas	Chicago, Illinois
Campus setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
College type	4 year	4 year
Control/business model	Public	Public
Calendar system	Semester	Semester
Degrees offered	Undergraduate and Graduate	Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate	72.0%	81.0%
Common app member	No	Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission
Acceptance rate	93.9%	78.8%
Application fees	$50	Undergraduate: $60 Graduate: $70
SAT range	N/A	1080 - 1310
ACT range	N/A	23 - 31
Students submitting SAT score		32.0%
Students submitting ACT score		8.0%
Total number of applicants	14,386	22,791
Total number of admissions given out	13,508	17,960
Admitted students who chose to enroll	5,439	4,177
Yield rate	40.3%	23.3%
Test scores (SAT/ACT)	N/A	N/A
High school GPA	Required	Required
Recommendation letters	Not required	Not required
High school transcript	Required	Required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL)	Required	Required

Tuition and Fees
Sticker price	In state: $23,563 Out of state: $33,355	In state: $31,176 Out of state: $45,526
Average net price	$6,244	$10,725
Tuition	In state: $7,857 Out of state: $17,649	In state: $10,776 Out of state: $25,126
Room & board	Room/dormitory: $4,240 Meal plan: $3,368	Room/dormitory: $8,436 Meal plan: $4,677
Available payment plans	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan	Guaranteed tuition plan Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid
Students receiving financial aid (Grants & scholarships)	98.0% Average amount $8,702	75.0% Average amount $13,420
Students receiving federal student loan	19.0% Average amount $3,752	20.0% Average amount $4,778
Students taking out private loans	0.0% Average amount $0	3.0% Average amount $17,230

Students and Campus
Undergraduate students	26,405 Men 40.7% Women 59.3%	22,279 Men 46.8% Women 53.2%
Graduate students	5,535 Men 35.4% Women 64.6%	11,920 Men 39.9% Women 60.1%
Racial/ethnic diversity	Very Low	Moderate
Out-of-state students	N/A	6.3%
International students	2.5%	11.4%
Campus local/setting	City: Midsize	City: Large
Dormitory capacity	1,049	3,824
First year students are required to live on campus?	No	No
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from	N/A	Illinois California Indiana Wisconsin Michigan

Academics
Popular study areas	Health Professions Multidisciplinary Studies Business Biological and Biomedical Sciences Education	Health Professions Engineering Business Computer and Information Science Education
Students to faculty ratio	20:1	19:1
Institutional accreditation	Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges	Higher Learning Commission

Outcome
Graduation rate	51.1%	62.3%
Dropout rate	23.2%	35.0%
Transferred out	17.1%	N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)	Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $92,380 Year 2: $106,421 Year 3: $116,099 Allied Health Diagnostic, Intervention, and Treatment Professions (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $108,041 Year 2: $109,235 Year 3: $108,882 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $65,185 Year 2: $55,693 Year 3: $70,393 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $60,833 Year 2: $61,334 Year 3: $66,863 Mechanical Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $57,430 Year 2: $52,107 Year 3: $63,962 Communication Disorders Sciences and Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $55,464 Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $62,120 Business/Commerce, General (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $56,567 Year 2: $52,464 Year 3: $60,844 Civil Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $48,240 Year 2: $50,439 Year 3: $60,219 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $61,516 Year 3: $60,013 Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $57,391 Year 2: $55,151 Year 3: $59,030	Pharmacy, Pharmaceutical Sciences, and Administration (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $80,152 Year 2: $111,220 Year 3: $124,034 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: N/A Year 2: $108,092 Year 3: $115,765 Dentistry (First Professional Degrees) Year 1: $97,991 Year 2: $101,278 Year 3: $108,049 Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,216 Year 2: $94,021 Year 3: $100,439 Health and Medical Administrative Services (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $85,284 Year 2: $91,744 Year 3: $96,488 Legal Research and Advanced Professional Studies (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $114,258 Year 2: N/A Year 3: $93,942 Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees) Year 1: $79,271 Year 2: $80,189 Year 3: $92,984 Psychology, General (Doctoral Degrees) Year 1: $52,905 Year 2: $74,576 Year 3: $85,772 Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $73,060 Year 2: $68,153 Year 3: $80,429 Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Bachelor's Degrees) Year 1: $64,975 Year 2: $70,610 Year 3: $78,062

Compare Similar Colleges

The list of suggested college comparisons provided below is generated automatically by our system, utilizing statistics gathered from the National Center for Education Statistics (NCES) and various online sources. If you don't find the colleges you wish to compare, please visit our comparison page. There, you can search for the specific colleges and initiate your comparison.