CHAMPAIGN, Ill. — The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign welcomed 6,871 new graduate students at the start of the fall 2025 semester, bringing total graduate enrollment to 20,877 and representing about one-third of the university’s record-breaking enrollment of 60,848 students this year.
“Graduate education is central to how Illinois is delivering on its commitment to transformative research and academic excellence at scale,” said Chancellor Charles L. Isbell, Jr. “These 6,871 new students will learn, grow, and discover at Illinois, and then go on to shape the future in ways we can only begin to imagine.”
Graduate education at Illinois continues to see growing enrollment in online professional master’s degrees, certificates and non-degree offerings designed to meet the changing needs of today’s learners by expanding access across Illinois, the nation, and the world. Graduate students pursuing online opportunities now account for 44% of graduate enrollment. A record-breaking 42,059 prospective students applied for graduate admission this year, reflecting the university’s strong global appeal.
“Each year, more students are recognizing the value in our innovative approaches that make graduate education more accessible and more practical for those seeking to advance their careers and make a meaningful impact,” Isbell said.
Doctoral and international enrollment declined slightly this year in new enrollments, but Illinois continues to demonstrate excellence in doctoral education across all disciplines and colleges with total enrollment exceeding 6,000 doctoral students for the third consecutive year.
“It is critically important for our nation that we continue to appreciate and support the centrality of doctoral study in higher education,” said Wojtek Chodzko-Zajko, vice provost for graduate education and dean of the Graduate College. “Doctoral education is key to the groundbreaking research we do at Illinois and to keeping our nation competitive in a global economy.”
Illinois has one of the largest cohorts of international graduate students in the country, with 8,216 international students from 144 countries accounting for 39% of total graduate enrollment. Illinois attracts students from all backgrounds, perspectives, and socioeconomic circumstances. For example, 9% of domestic enrollments identify as African American, 12% as Hispanic, and 18% are among the first generation in their family to have received a bachelor’s degree.
“Graduate students come to Illinois from many different backgrounds and experiences to work alongside leading faculty in every discipline. They benefit from the university’s extraordinary breadth of research programs, world-class facilities, and commitment to interdisciplinary collaboration — an environment that equips them to tackle complex problems and thrive in their careers,” said Chodzko-Zajko.
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