The founders of Youtube, the creator of Mozilla Firefox, and the Editor in Chief of Playboy Enterprises, can all attribute their success to their alma mater, which is considered our state’s best and comprehensive public university: The University of Illinois-Urbana Champaign.

With outstanding Engineering, Business and Science  programs, the University of Illinois is a great choice for students pursuing those passions, especially with the in-state tuition of $14,960. Most programs are still, however, top notch.

While rather large, the 1,468 acre campus is scenic and students can always be found all over campus. There are more than 1,100 registered student organizations ranging from, “A Price is Right Fan Club” to  “Zeta Beta Tau.”

You can also join 22 percent of the student body and go Greek. The University of Illinois has the largest Greek community, per capita, in the nation.

With six percent of classes having 100 students or more, and 66 percent having 30 or less students, individual attention will be experienced. As you climb the ladder to an upperclassman, your class sizes will become smaller and smaller.

The twin cities of Urbana and Champaign feature a variety of top notch theaters, museums, restaurants and concert venues just a quick walk off campus. Cocomero is a popular place right off campus for students to get some tasty frozen yogurt.

Once finished with your general education requirements, the university offers a myriad of elective choices. A few fun ones include: Intro to Wine Science, Ice-Skating and Dance Activities.

Last year, the average ACT scores were between 25-34. The average high school rank was between 77 percent and 98 percent. The priority deadline is between Sept. 1 and Nov. 1.

With the large campus and student body, and the smaller class sizes, the University of Illinois Urbana Champaign will give you the best of both worlds with smaller class sizes and a larger campus community. Who could ask for more?

By: Tom Scearce