stamps scholars

University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign

Illinois is a national and global leader in education and research, attracting the best students from across the U.S. and 113 countries. Our students learn from a world-class faculty who have won the world’s top honors for their research and discoveries. We take pride in ensuring students make the most of their time here, both in and out of the classroom.

Here are a handful of Essential Illinois Facts

The students
• 33,850 undergraduate and 16,000 graduate and professional students
• #1 most students of color among top-ranked Midwest universities (NCES)
• 68% of undergraduates participate in research
• Students lead 1,800+ clubs and organizations
• 490,000+ living alumni – one of the largest networks of its kind

The experience
• 7,000 courses offered in 150+ programs of study
• 18:1 student to faculty ratio
• 3 interconnected honors programs for high-achieving, high-ability students
• Consistently ranked among the top five universities for NSF-funded research with total annual research funding exceeding $600 million
• 400+ study abroad programs in 65 countries
• 25 Nobel Prize and 29 Pulitzer Prize winners among faculty and alumni
• 9,700 unique employers recruiting Illini each year
• Recruited by 86 Fortune 100 companies each year
• #1 return on investment in the Big Ten (Payscale)
• #2 highest average mid-career salaries in the Big Ten (Payscale)

The Stamps Scholars Program at the University of Illinois recognizes and rewards exceptional students for their leadership, perseverance, scholarship, service, and innovation. The scholarship covers the total estimated cost of attendance for eight semesters and includes $12,000 of enrichment funds to support study abroad, undergraduate research, unpaid internships, professional conferences, and other approved activities.

Potential Stamps Scholars are selected during the freshman admissions process. From our highest achieving students, we focus primarily on the quality of the honors and awards, leadership, involvements, work experience, and essays contained in the admission application.
Learn more about being an Illinois Stamps Scholar.

Stamps Scholars