UC Riverside vs. UIC

Should I go to University of California Riverside or University of Illinois at Chicago? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UC Riverside or UIC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.
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University of California Riverside vs. University of Illinois at Chicago comparison
University of California Riverside University of Illinois at Chicago College 3 College 4
University of California Riverside University of Illinois at Chicago
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Overview

 UC Riverside UIC
Location Riverside, CA Chicago, IL
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 26,426 33,522
Type Public 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #265 #198
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website ucr.edu uic.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

 UC Riverside UIC
Tuition (In State) $11,834 $11,178
Tuition (Out of State) $42,611 $26,200
Room & Board $19,433 $14,600
Avg Net Price $13,533 $11,499
Avg Grant Aid $21,566 $15,421
% Receiving Grant Aid 70% 72%

Admission

 UC Riverside UIC
Applied 62,807 25,420
Admitted 39,758 19,955
Acceptance Rate 63.3% 78.5%
Enrolled % 13.9% 23.3%
Avg High School GPA 3.84 3.41
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Difficult Very High
Applicant Competition Low
ACT Range 22/31 25/32
SAT Range 1080/1280 1120/1340
Submit Test Scores Not considered for admission, even if submitted (Test Blind) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Nov 30, 2025 Feb 1, 2026

Academics

 UC Riverside UIC
Student to Faculty Ratio 23:1 17:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (19%)
  • Business (18%)
  • Biology (14%)
  • Psychology (11%)
  • General Studies (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

 UC Riverside UIC
Graduation Rate 67% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $52,200 $61,900
Making Student Loan Payments 65% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $19,109 $18,750
Median Loan Payment $197 $193

Diversity

 UC Riverside UIC
% Men 9% 14%
% Women 5% 20%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 13% 34%
% Black 4% 8%
% Hispanic 36% 28%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 4% 3%
% International 4% 2%
% Unknown Race 1% 2%

Students

 UC Riverside UIC
% In-State 95% 89%
% Out-of-State 1% 4%

Campus

 UC Riverside UIC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required No No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility Yes Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is larger than than UC Riverside based on total student enrollment (33,522 students vs. 26,426 students)

UC Riverside vs. UIC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UC Riverside or UIC?

  • University of California Riverside is 5.9% more expensive to attend than UIC for in-state tuition ($11,834.00 vs. $11,178.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 62.6% higher at UC Riverside than University of Illinois at Chicago ($42,611.00 vs. $26,200.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than UC Riverside ($11,499 vs. $13,533)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Chicago are 33.1% lower than costs at University of California Riverside ($14,600 vs. $19,433)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Illinois at Chicago than University of California Riverside (72% vs. 70%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of California Riverside students is 39.8% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Chicago ($21,566 vs. $15,421)

UC Riverside vs. UIC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UC Riverside or UIC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UIC or UC Riverside .

  • The average SAT score at University of California Riverside (1119) is 27 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming UC Riverside students have a 2 point higher average ACT score (26) than students at UIC (24)
  • Accepted freshman UC Riverside students have a 0.43 point higher average high school GPA (3.84) than students at UIC (3.41)
  • UIC has a higher acceptance rate (78.5%) than UC Riverside (63.3%)

UC Riverside vs. UIC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UC Riverside or UIC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UIC and UC Riverside.

  • The graduation rate at UC Riverside is higher than University of Illinois at Chicago (67% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from University of Illinois at Chicago earn on average $9,700 more per year than UC Riverside graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $52,200)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago students graduate with a $359 lower median federal student loan debt than UC Riverside graduates. ($18,750 vs. $19,109)
  • UIC graduates are paying $4 less per month on federal student loans than UC Riverside graduates. ($193 vs. $197)
  • More UIC graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UC Riverside students, three years after graduation. (68% vs. 65%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/