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Educating for Career and Life

An Undergraduate Education that Opens Doors

Every student in LAS arrives with a passion. And here, that passion is refined, in a program distinguished by its depth, breadth, and emphasis on fundamental skills and cultural understanding. Here, we teach new generations not what to think, but how. Here, we create the pioneers indispensable in the workplace and the arena of ideas.

Choose from Strong Programs

More than 70 fields of study in LAS, the only hard part is choosing one. Students pursue fields as diverse as genetics and international studies. The combine an interest in nanotechnology with a passion for ancient literature. They choose from top-ranked programs in chemistry, chemical and biomolecular engineering, communication, English, history, mathematics, microbiology, political science, and psychology, to name a few. The only limit is their ability to dream.

Real World Experience

Being part of a research team that rewrote the family tree of a wasp would be a noteworthy accomplishment for a graduate student, but for a freshman, the experience can be literally life changing. It happens in LAS, from students considering a science career, to undergraduates learning that counseling, cross-cultural communication, and community organization skills can improve the lives of others. Internships and undergraduate research opportunities are an invaluable part of education make them more competitive in the job market.

Gain a Global Perspective

In 1949, LAS introduced Latin American studies–the first international studies major at the University of Illinois. Today, the college offers more than 80 percent of all international instruction on campus, and we're making cultural awareness an essential component of education. Through our Global Studies Initiative, we're bringing the world to U of I, introducing 1,500 freshmen to issues of change and globalization. Through our yearlong and short courses abroad, we're taking U of I to the world, immersing adventurous minds in cultures far different than their own, encouraging new growth and perspectives, and building bridges between cultures that may one day form the foundations of global change.

A Place to be Outstanding

LAS students have always been high achievers. No more so than today. The average ACT of incoming freshmen is 27, with a class rank in the 90th percentile. The number who qualify for the college's honors program has increased 30 percent in five years. Recent Rhodes Scholars, Gates Cambridge Scholar, and Marshall Scholarship recipient from U of I were LAS students. We've created an environment in which bright students thrive and invent their own futures.

Student Profile:

• Entering class of about 4,000 students hails from 50 states and 100 countries with the majority from Illinois.
• Ten percent of entering freshmen are in the top one percent of their high school graduating class; more than half are in the top 10 percent.
• Male to female ratio is one to one.
• Seventeen percent of LAS students are people of color, representing 63 percent of all African American, Latina/o, and Native American students at U of I.