With the biggest applicant pool yet, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign’s freshman class contains record numbers of students from underrepresented backgrounds and first-generation college students—as well as representing a 10-year high of Illinois residents.
Among the 10 biggest freshman classes in the country, the newest Illini include 22.2 percent who come from underrepresented backgrounds and 22.1 percent who identify as first-generation students. With 1,093 new freshman identifying as Hispanic or Latinx and 475 identifying as African-American, Illinois continues to be one of the most diverse campuses in the Big Ten.
In addition, the Illinois residency rate increased from 73.3 percent to 76.8 percent—the highest number of Illinois residents in the last 10 years. The percentage of admitted students who chose to attend the university also increased from 40.5 percent to 41.8 percent.
“We’re excited to welcome this new class to Illinois,” said Chancellor Robert Jones. “They are the most diverse class ever. They represent our largest number of first-generation college students ever. And, once again this year, we are the largest provider of undergraduate education to Illinois residents. These students are already making history here even before many of them have put away their campus maps. We can’t wait to see what they do in the next four years and beyond.”
Class of 2022 by the numbers:
- 7,609 students
- 5,847 in-state residents
- 22.2 percent come from underrepresented backgrounds
- 22.1 percent identify as first-generation students
- Average ACT score: 28.9
- Average SAT score: 1342
Learn more about the class of 2022 here.