50. Illinois


Nothing better than a hot girl who is also smart, and the University of Illinois embraces that belief to the fullest. A creative student at UofI put together a “Girls of Engineering” for the 2007 year and the picture above graced the cover. Sign me up for the 2008 edition.


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About the University



The University of Illinois is the state's best and most comprehensive public university.
The three distinct campuses in Chicago, Springfield and Urbana-Champaign
serve the people of Illinois through a shared commitment to our missions of


excellence in teaching, research, public service and economic development. The
Global Campus expands educational opportunities for residents of the state of
Illinois and beyond.

Our campuses attract the nation's most talented students with hundreds of
undergraduate, graduate and professional programs, many of them ranked among the
best in the United States. We are also the state's largest educator. Right now
nearly 70,000 students are enrolled at our campuses and thousands more take
classes off campus and online.The University of Illinois is a world leader in research and discovery. Our internationally renowned faculty win more federal research dollars than all other public Illinois universities and colleges combined, resulting in priceless new knowledge and life-changing breakthroughs in medicine, agriculture and technology.

We are a university that belongs to the people of Illinois. Our faculty, staff and students share their knowledge and expertise and the resources of the University with citizens in every corner of the state through more than 700 public service and outreach programs.

The University also has an impressive impact on the state's economy. Our very operation means billions in direct spending in Illinois and full-time employment for more than 23,000. And the increased earning power of hundreds of thousands of alumni living in Illinois results in additional tax revenue for our state.


Fast Facts 2008
Students enrolled on our three campuses: 69,331

Degrees awarded in 2006-07: 17,623

Faculty (FTE): 5,798

Administrative and professional staff (FTE): 8,219

Support staff (FTE): 10,496

Graduate assistants: 10,045

Living alumni: 582,855

Alumni Association members: 102,625

Operating budget in 2006-07: $3.9 billion (Includes$441.3 million in payments on behalf, such as retirements contributions and $18.9 million for Academic Facilities Maintenance Fund Assessment).

Separately funded research in 2007-08: $6158 million

Student organizations: 1,353 (Fall 2007)

Physical plant: The University has more than 800 buildings with a replacement cost of $7 billion. The three campuses encompass 2,554 acres, with additional holdings totaling 10,710 acres, including an airport, agriculture experiment fields, Allerton Park, research sites, and natural areas.