Why Illinois?

American Flag on flag pole with a persons hand holding a white football with an Illini I on it, signed by Lovie Smith.

Making connections and building networks.

Group cohesion, teamwork, and togetherness are cornerstones of military culture. We understand how important it is to be embedded in communities during and after service. Through our collaborations and partnerships, we team with community stakeholders to help you bridge the military-civilian divide. We purposely engage our network of veteran support organizations and donors who are invested in your well-being and success. Cultivating communities of support for you is one of our top priorities.  

We have a program for you.

Illinois has tremendous breadth and depth in academics, with more than 150 undergraduate and more than 100 graduate and professional programs. You can learn about applying to these programs from a veteran-specific lens on the Military-Connected student page.

On the strength of our preeminent faculty, many academic programs are ranked among the best in the world. This emphasis on campus wide academic excellence has built Illinois’ reputation as one of the nation’s premier public universities.

You will earn a competitive degree.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is a highly ranked university that offers comprehensive undergraduate, graduate, and professional educational programs that are respected by employers.

Our students are successful after graduation:

  • 93% of 2019 graduates secured a “first destination” – defined as a job.
  • Following graduation, 58% enroll in graduate school.
  • Income of full-time-employed recent graduates is about $63,515, up from last year’s $60,885.
  • Top employers of Illinois students include many of the Fortune 500 companies.

We offer world-class programs and services for people with disabilities.

The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is rated as #1 for being the most “disability-friendly” campus in the U.S., stemming from a long-standing history of serving Veterans.

We have a thriving Veteran community on campus: