First-Year Applicants

The best qualified of each years’ pool of applicants to the University of Illinois at Springfield will be admitted as space permits. Admission decisions will be made, and official notifications mailed, on a rolling basis (biweekly timeline).

Merit scholarships are available for high achieving applicants and awarded upon admission. Questions about scholarships other than these merit awards should be directed to the Office of Financial Assistance.

Evaluation Criteria

Applications will be evaluated based on the following criteria:

College preparatory curricula and academic coursework

Students should pursue rigorous and challenging college preparatory curricula. Grade trends and the rigor of courses completed throughout high school will be considered. Minimum academic coursework requirements are:

  • Four years of academic English with emphasis on written and oral communication and literature.
  • Three years of social studies with emphasis on history and government (additional acceptable courses include anthropology, economics, geography, philosophy, political science, psychology and sociology).
  • Three years of college preparatory mathematics, selected from Algebra, geometry, advanced Algebra, pre-calculus, trigonometry and calculus.
  • Three years of laboratory science, selected from biology, chemistry, geology, physical science, astronomy and physics.
  • Two years of one foreign language, or two years of fine arts, selected from art, music, dance, and theater

*students who are lacking some of these requirements may be conditionally admitted, provided they can complete the requirements prior to enrollment at UIS.

Grade point average, and class rank

The following credentials will be considered:

Prompted Question (optional)

To help us learn a little more, we ask that applicants complete our prompted question form on the application status page (after application submission). Submit an essay in which you answer the prompt below. You may answer directly on this form. If you prefer, you can submit the essay in writing. The essay should not be more than one typewritten or handwritten page.

Prompt: Tell us about yourself and what you would like us to consider for admission?

Standardized test scores (optional)

ACT or SAT scores are optional through Fall 2021. We will accept ACT or SAT test scores that are posted on an official high school transcript. To have scores reported to us from ACT and SAT, use our ACT institution code of 1137; for SAT, the code is 0834.

The Honors Program

The Honors program is a selective program combining high standards and an emphasis on excellence with a small, residential college model. We are currently enrolling about 100 freshmen each year. As an Honors Student you will participate in an interdisciplinary core curriculum designed to prepare you for your major as well as to introduce you to those intellectual skills that society expects from future leaders.

Each of the courses in the core curriculum is integrated with the rest so that together they will provide a broad understanding of the world before you. Many courses are interdisciplinary, exposing you to the views of scholars from several disciplines. Each course will include topics and draw on authors that reflect the ethnic, racial, and gender diversity of America, and also the broader cultural diversity that exists in the world.

Honors students participate in learning teams for many course assignments, not only learning the assigned material, but also how to participate effectively as a member of a team. The curriculum-wide focus on collaborative learning emphasizes leadership as an integral aspect of collaboration.

Writing Sample

The Honors Program requires submission of a writing sample. Upload your writing sample on your application status page. The response to the prompted question is not sufficient for honors program consideration.

  • Please address the following: The Capital Scholars Honors Program values leadership and engagement. How do you see UIS and the Honors Program helping you (further) develop your leadership skills, becoming engaged in the campus community, and preparing you for your future career?

Students interested in applying to the Honors Program may be asked to submit additional credentials.

Visit the web site for complete information about the Capital Scholars Honors Program for first-year students.

Other Undergraduate Applicants

Applicants with 30 or more attempted semester hours and a cumulative grade-point average of 2.00 or higher on a 4.00 scale from any regionally accredited institution of higher education by the North Central Association or any of the seven regional accrediting organizations may be considered for admission.

These applicants are encouraged to have completed some or all of the 39 hours of required general education courses prior to admission at UIS.

Remedial or developmental courses are not applicable to admission requirements.

Graduates of regionally accredited Illinois community colleges holding an associate of arts or associate of science transfer degrees are considered to have met all general education requirements. Requests for exceptions should be directed to the Office of Admission. An official transcript from each institution attended must also be submitted.

Applicants with significant life experiences who have little or no college coursework completed are encouraged to consider the Alternative Admission Program (pdf).

Graduate Applicants

Students must complete an application to the university and have official transcripts from all colleges and universities attended submitted to the Office of Admission. Full admission to graduate studies may be granted to students who have earned a baccalaureate degree with a minimum undergraduate grade-point average of 2.50 on a 4.00 scale from any regionally accredited institution of higher education by the North Central Association or any of the seven regional accrediting organizations and who have met all specific program requirements and prerequisite courses.

Programs may require higher grade-point averages. Programs may grant conditional admission to persons with less than the required GPA with the additional requirement of completing eight semester hours of courses at UIS (exclusive of prerequisites) with a grade-point average of at least 3.00. If conditional admission is granted, the program will specify which courses must be completed.

Non-Degree Seeking Students

Students must complete an application and submit it to the Office of Admission. The non-degree student will be allowed to take courses for one term unless admitted to a certificate or licensure program.

Students who have not earned a bachelor degree (or its US equivalent) will be classified as Undergraduate Non-Degree and should apply using the Undergraduate Non-Degree Application. Students who have earned a bachelor degree (or its US equivalent) will be classified as Graduate Non-Degree and should apply using the Graduate Non-Degree Application.

Applicants seeking a certificate or licensure, will need to provide Bachelor Degree granting institution transcripts. Guest students not seeking any credential will not be required to submit transcripts.