The Urbana-Champaign community combines the sophistication and cultural advantages of a large cosmopolitan university with the relaxed atmosphere and convenience of a smaller city. Some of the richest farmland in the world surrounds the cities, contributing to a large agricultural and business community. Several large corporations and many new high-tech companies have located here to take advantage of the facilities and personnel at the University of Illinois. In Urbana-Champaign, there are two major medical care centers and several other health care facilities. Two park districts support 78 parks. More than 25 miles of Class 1 bike paths connect the metropolitan area and the university and many more miles of roads are designated as bike routes. The Champaign-Urbana Mass Transit District provides bus service within the community, including routes running through the campus. Operating seven days a week, a modern, award-winning mass transit system serves 9 million riders a year. A special arrangement with the university gives students unlimited access to the bus service. Parkland Community College, located in Champaign, is a state-run college that offers hundreds of courses to several thousand students on its campus.
Since its founding in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has earned a reputation as an institution of international stature. Known for the high quality of its academic programs and for its outstanding facilities and resources, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign ranks among the world's great universities.
Undergraduate education is strongly emphasized and admissions are very competitive. Half of the entering freshmen rank in the top 10 percent of their high school class and 85 percent in the top 25 percent. More than 36,000 students from all 50 states and 100 foreign countries each year enroll in programs offered by 20 schools and colleges.
The university is known primarily for its achievements in research and graduate studies. Each year, the campus attracts more than $267 million in state and federal grants and contracts and private gifts and grants.
Scores of faculty members belong to the American
Academy of Arts and Sciences, the National Academy of Sciences,
and the National Academy of Engineering, and 10 scientists have
received the National Medal of Science while on the faculty.
Another prime indicator of the campus' excellence is the success
of its alumni. Eleven graduates have won Nobel Prizes and another
17 have received the Pulitzer Prize.
National surveys consistently rank UIUC among the top 10 institutions in many fields of study. Several colleges and departments rank among the top 5.
The department takes an active interest in providing a high quality of life for its community of graduate students. The Graduate Student Advisory Council is composed of representatives from each research group and meets monthly with the department head to discuss departmental issues. Socially, the department sponsors an annual fall picnic and a holiday party. Our graduate students have a long tradition of sponsoring elaborate tailgate parties before every home football game, and the annual graduate student Halloween party is a popular tradition.
The University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is located in the adjoining cities of Urbana and Champaign. The facilities and resources on the campus are among the best to be found anywhere. The Illini Union includes a food court and dining facilities, guest rooms, reading and television rooms, billiards and electronic game rooms, bowling lanes, student computer facilities, student performance area, a ticket and check-cashing counter, and a newspaper and candy shop.
Krannert Center for the Performing Arts is a showcase for music, theater, opera, and dance. Recent performances have included the Dresden Staatskapelle Orchestra, soprano Renee Fleming, London Symphony Orchestra, Moscow Festival Ballet, Tashi, Emerson String Quartet, and Ravi and Anoushka Shankar in addition to an active program of faculty/student performances and productions of opera, dance, and theater. The university has four museums: Krannert Art Museum and Kinkead Pavilion, Spurlock Museum, John Philip Sousa Museum, and Museum of Natural History.
Many graduate students, faculty members, and staff in the Department of Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering participate in intramural sports programs. Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering has teams in corecreational softball and volleyball, and the graduate, faculty, and staff football and softball teams have been champions of their leagues. The department sponsors annual golf and tennis tournaments for its students and staff. Men's basketball is another popular team in the department.
Many other sports and recreational opportunities are available. The area offers sailing, fishing, camping, and hiking within a short traveling distance of campus. Biking and running events are common in the summer months. The university's Intramural-Physical Education Building is convenient for swimming, weight training, and other sports and recreational activities. Other campus recreational facilities include three gymnasiums, the Ice Arena, the Armory, two 18-hole golf courses, numerous tennis courts, and a recreational building near the residence halls in the southeast part of the campus. Memorial Stadium is the home of the Fighting Illini Big Ten football team. Atkins Tennis Center, home of the tennis team, is open for use by the public. Illinois Field seats 1500 people for baseball and softball. The Assembly Hall is used for Big Ten basketball games, dramatic productions, concerts, conventions, and other activities such as Commencement.
Nearly every facility on campus is accessible to the physically disabled. The Rehabilitation-Education Center and the Beckwith Center, a special housing unit for disabled students, have enabled the university to set worldwide standards for campus accessibility and special programs.
Robert Allerton Park is a 1,500-acre estate located 24 miles from campus. Allerton House, a Georgian-style mansion in the park used as a conference center. The university operates both. The formal gardens, statuary from around the world, and woodlands are outstanding; the park is open to the public for hiking, cross-country skiing, and picnics.
Urbana-Champaign is approximately 130 miles south of Chicago and 86 miles east of Springfield, the state capital. Three interstate highways come together at Urbana-Champaign. Air, rail, and bus service are all available. For travel information to Urbana-Champaign click here.
