About UI

University of Illinois is a world leader in research, teaching, and public engagement. Distinguished by the breadth of our programs, broad academic excellence, and internationally renowned faculty. Some of our prominent alumni include Nobel and Pulitzer Prize winners, outstanding athletes, including Olympic medalists, astronauts and scientists, and leaders of international corporations. We serve the state, the nation, and the world by creating knowledge,preparing students for lives of impact, and addressing critical societal needs through the transfer and application of knowledge.

We are a public research-intensive university in the state of Illinois. We are the flagship campus of the University of Illinois system. We're also the second oldest public university in the state, and are the founding member of the Big Ten Conference. We're considered a Public Ivy and are a member of the Association of American Universities. We're designated as RU/VH Research University, which means we're extremely research intensive. Our library system possess the second-largest university library in the United States and fifth-largest in the country overall.

We comprise 17 colleges that offer more than 150 programs of study. Additionally, we operate an extension that serves 2.7 million registrants per year around the state of Illinois and beyond. The campus holds 286 buildings on 1468 acres (594 ha) in the twin cities of Champaign and Urbana. Our annual operating budget in 2011 was over $1.7 billion.

Our Mission Statement

Abraham Lincoln played a significant role in the creation of the premiere public university in his home state by signing the Morrill Act, the legislation that created the land grant university system. At the time of Lincoln's presidency, the United States was rich in land, and Congressman Justin Morrill's legislation gave states millions of acres that could be used or sold to fund state universities. In 1867, Illinois sold 380,000 of its 480,000 land grant acres at 66 cents an acre, raising a little more that $250,000 to fund Illinois Industrial University, which would become the University of Illinois.

The first regent (president) of the University was John Milton Gregory. Until Gregory's arrival, many proponents of the new university wanted it to stick to providing a mechanical and industrial education to the state's citizens, who were mostly farmers. Gregory made clear that the university would provide a "liberal and practical education to the industrial classes." In his inaugural address, Gregory stated that the university must offer "a full table spread with every form of human knowledge, and bid (students) freely to the feast." It was largely because of Gregory that the university'scurricula was broadened to offer a range of scholarly pursuits for the first class of 77 students, and for generations of Illini.

Illinois is proud of its land grant heritage and continues to strive toward continued realization of the mission mandated with Lincoln's signature: excellence in education, research, and public engagement."