- Illinois Tech enrolled 7,502 students from 117 nations in Fall 2025
- Undergraduate tuition for 2026-27 is USD 26,599 per semester for 12-18 credit hours, and Mies Campus graduate tuition is USD 1,925 per credit hour
- U.S
- News ranks Illinois Tech #117 among National Universities and #30 for Best Value in 2026.
What Is Illinois Institute of Technology?
Illinois Institute of Technology is a private, research-driven university in Chicago. Armour Institute opened in 1893, and Illinois Tech was created in 1940 when Armour merged with Lewis Institute. It now enrols 7,502 students from 117 nations across four Chicago-area campuses led by the 120-acre Mies Campus.
The university traces its origin to the 1890 Million Dollar Sermon by Chicago minister Frank Wakeley Gunsaulus, which prompted meatpacking magnate Philip Danforth Armour Sr. to donate one million dollars. Armour Institute opened its doors in 1893 with professional courses in engineering, chemistry, architecture and library science.
Illinois Tech in its present form dates from 1940, when Armour Institute merged with Lewis Institute, which had been established in 1895. The Institute of Design joined in 1949, and Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Stuart School followed in 1969. Midwest College of Engineering merged in 1986 and became the Rice Campus in Wheaton.
- Private, non-profit, PhD-granting university located in Chicago, Illinois
- Four Chicago-area campuses: Mies Campus, Rice Campus, the Institute of Food Safety and Health, and Fulton Labs
- Fall 2025 enrolment of 7,502 students, including 2,909 undergraduates and 2,873 master's students
- Students from 117 nations, with 60 percent of graduate students and 17 percent of undergraduates international
- Colleges span Engineering, Computing, Architecture, Science and Letters, Business, Law and Design
Where Does Illinois Tech Rank in 2026?
U.S. News and World Report ranks Illinois Tech #117 among National Universities and #30 for Best Value in its 2026 edition. The Wall Street Journal and College Pulse place it #22 for Best Salaries of Graduates, while TIME and Statista rank it #91 among the world's top universities.
| Ranking (2026) | Position | Ranking Body |
|---|---|---|
| Best National University | #117 | U.S. News and World Report |
| Best Value School | #30 | U.S. News and World Report |
| Best Salaries of Graduates | #22 | Wall Street Journal / College Pulse |
| World's Top Universities | #91 | TIME / Statista |
| Best Undergraduate Engineering | #86 | U.S. News and World Report |
| Best Undergraduate Computer Science | #78 | U.S. News and World Report |
| Best Computer Science Schools | #64 | Times Higher Education |
Older articles about Illinois Tech still quote a #36 Best Value position and a #103 world ranking. Both figures are out of date. The university's own By the Numbers page now lists #30 Best Value and #91 in the TIME and Statista world list for 2026, and those are the figures applicants should use.
Cost of Study in the USARead →How Much Does Illinois Tech Cost in 2026-27?
Illinois Tech charges USD 26,599 per semester for undergraduates taking 12 to 18 credit hours in 2026-27, roughly USD 53,198 for the year. Mies Campus graduate tuition is USD 1,925 per credit hour for Fall 2026 and Spring 2027. International students pay the same published rate as domestic students.
| Tuition and Fee Item (2026-27) | Published Rate (USD) |
|---|---|
| Undergraduate, 12-18 credit hours per semester | 26,599 |
| Undergraduate, per credit hour below 12 or above 18 | 1,708 |
| Mies Campus graduate, per credit hour (Fall 2026, Spring 2027) | 1,925 |
| Mies Campus graduate, per credit hour (Summer 2026) | 1,851 |
| Activity fee, full-time, per semester | 125 |
| Student service fee, full-time, per semester | 800 |
For comparison, the current 2025-26 undergraduate rate is USD 25,824 per semester, or about USD 51,648 for the year, with health insurance billed at USD 2,343 per year in the fall semester. All tuition and fees are subject to revision by the Illinois Tech Board of Trustees, so applicants should confirm figures on the Student Accounting pages before budgeting.
Illinois Tech is a private university, so it does not operate the resident and non-resident tuition split used by public state universities. Any fee table that shows separate Illinois-resident and non-resident rates for Illinois Tech is describing a different institution.
Cost of Living in the USARead →What Are the English and Admission Requirements?
International applicants need TOEFL iBT 80, IELTS 6.5 or Duolingo 115 at both undergraduate and graduate level. Undergraduates can waive the English test with SAT 550 Evidence-Based Reading and Writing, ACT English 25, AP English 4 or 5, or IB English 5 to 7.
| English Test (2026 Entry) | Undergraduate Minimum | Graduate Minimum |
|---|---|---|
| TOEFL iBT | 80 | 80 |
| IELTS Academic | 6.5 | 6.5 |
| Duolingo English Test | 115 | 115 |
- Academic transcripts and proof of secondary or bachelor's degree completion
- English proficiency evidence, or an approved waiver such as SAT, ACT, AP or IB English
- Three-year bachelor's degrees from India are accepted for selected master's programmes
- Applicants below the English minimum may qualify for conditional admission with concurrent English coursework
- Financial documentation and passport copy for the I-20 and F-1 visa process
When Are the Application Deadlines for 2026 Entry?
Illinois Tech uses four undergraduate rounds. Early Decision closes 1 November and is binding, Early Action closes 15 November, Regular Decision closes 1 February, and spring entry closes 15 October. Enrolment deposits are due 15 March for Early Decision and Regular Decision, and 1 May for Early Action.
| Undergraduate Round (2026 Entry) | Application Deadline | Decision Released | Enrolment Deposit Due |
|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision (binding) | November 1 | December | March 15 |
| Early Action (non-binding) | November 15 | January | May 1 |
| Regular Decision | February 1 | June 1 | March 15 |
| Spring Entry | October 15 | From November 5 | December 1 |
Early Decision is binding. If Illinois Tech admits you under that round you are required to withdraw your applications to other universities, so use it only for your genuine first choice. Graduate programme deadlines are set department by department and are published on the graduate admission pages.
Checklist to Study in the USARead →How Selective Is Illinois Tech?
Illinois Tech received 8,912 first-year applications for Fall 2023 and admitted 4,939 of them, an acceptance rate of about 55 percent, according to its own Common Data Set. Of those admitted, 534 enrolled. The first-to-second-year retention rate for the 2024 cohort was 81 percent.
That 55 percent figure comes from the university's published Common Data Set rather than from a third-party aggregator. Older blog posts quote 51 percent from about 4,800 applications, which reflected a much smaller applicant pool. Applications have grown sharply since then, and Illinois Tech reported record enrolment for three consecutive years.
The Fall 2023 Common Data Set also reports a student to faculty ratio of 17 to 1, calculated on 5,942 students after excluding stand-alone professional programmes such as law.
Which Programmes Does Illinois Tech Offer?
Illinois Tech offers master's degrees across Engineering, Computing, Architecture, Science and Letters, Business, Law and Design. Popular options include Data Science, Artificial Intelligence, Computer Science, Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics, Electrical Engineering and the MBA. Many are STEM designated, which extends Optional Practical Training for F-1 visa holders.
- Computing: Computer Science, Artificial Intelligence, Data Science, Cybersecurity and Digital Forensics
- Engineering: Electrical, Mechanical, Chemical, Biomedical, and Autonomous Systems and Robotics
- Business: MBA and specialist master's degrees in Finance, Marketing and Management at the Stuart School
- Architecture and Design: Master of Architecture and programmes at the Institute of Design
- Accelerated and dual-degree master's routes let students combine a bachelor's and a master's
Many graduate programmes are offered on campus, online or in hybrid format. STEM designation matters for Indian students because it allows an additional 24 months of Optional Practical Training on top of the standard 12 months, giving up to three years of post-study work in the United States.
What Is the Mies Campus Like?
The 120-acre Mies Campus sits at 33rd and State streets on Chicago's South Side. Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, who led the architecture programme from 1938 to 1958, designed the campus plan and many of its buildings, making it one of the most significant modernist campuses in the world.
- Mies Campus in Chicago is the main residential and teaching campus at 120 acres
- Rice Campus in Wheaton serves professional and part-time graduate students
- The Institute of Food Safety and Health is based in Bedford Park
- Fulton Labs sits in Chicago's Fulton Market district and houses research and start-up space
- Campus buildings by Mies van der Rohe are recognised landmarks of modernist architecture
What Are the Career Outcomes for Graduates?
Six months after graduation, 67.7 percent of the undergraduate Class of 2025 were in full-time employment and 10.4 percent were continuing their education. Among graduate students, 85.6 percent were employed full time. The Wall Street Journal and College Pulse rank Illinois Tech #22 nationally for graduate salaries in 2026.
| Outcome Six Months After Graduation (Class of 2025, reported 2026) | Undergraduate | Graduate |
|---|---|---|
| Employed full time | 67.7% | 85.6% |
| Employed part time | 3.8% | 2.7% |
| Continuing education | 10.4% | 2.7% |
| Still seeking employment | 13.8% | 5.8% |
These numbers come from the Illinois Tech First-Destination survey, with response rates of 91 percent for undergraduates and 90 percent for graduate students. Claims of a 100 percent campus placement rate that circulate in older articles are not supported by the university's own published outcome data.