Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago's tech-focused private university on a Mies van der Rohe campus, with guaranteed hands-on experience.
- Acceptance rate
- 62%
- First-year applicants for fall 2025 (U.S. News 2027 data); latest published Common Data Set is 2023-24
- Students
- 7,502
- 3,190 undergraduates
- International
- 17%
- of students
- Student–faculty
- 17:1
- ratio
- Tuition
- $53,198
- 2026-27
About Illinois Tech
Illinois Institute of Technology traces its roots to 1890, when Chicago minister Frank Gunsaulus preached his "Million Dollar Sermon" and Philip Danforth Armour gave $1 million to found Armour Institute, which opened in 1893 teaching engineering, chemistry, architecture and library science. The present university was formed in 1940 by merging Armour Institute with the West Side's Lewis Institute. Its main Mies Campus sits on Chicago's South Side, next to Bronzeville and Bridgeport, and its best-known building, S. R. Crown Hall by Ludwig Mies van der Rohe, is a National Historic Landmark.
In fall 2025 Illinois Tech enrolled 7,502 students, about 3,190 of them undergraduates, so graduate students outnumber undergraduates. Teaching is organised into three groupings: Tech Futures (the School of Computing and the School of Engineering, Applied Science, and Health), Design Futures (the School of Architecture and the School of Design and Society) and Professional Futures (Chicago-Kent College of Law and the Stuart School of Business). Seventeen percent of undergraduates are international, and the student body comes from 117 countries.
The university's Elevate initiative guarantees undergraduates access to at least two hands-on experiences such as internships, research, study away or competitions, with mentoring built in. Admission is test-optional and holistic, with no application fee. It suits students who want a technical or design education at a small, practical university with Chicago's employers a short train ride away.
Transforming Lives. Inventing the Future.
University motto
Why students choose Illinois Tech
The Elevate initiative guarantees every undergraduate access to at least two real-world experiences, such as internships, research, study away or competitions, plus career and academic mentoring.
Architecture students work in S. R. Crown Hall, the Mies van der Rohe building that is a National Historic Landmark.
Merit aid is automatic: domestic first-years are considered for the Heald Scholarship worth $80,000 to $120,000 over four years, and international students for awards of $40,000 to $100,000.
The Mies Campus has its own stops on the CTA Green and Red Lines, so Chicago internships and the Loop are a short train ride away.
Admissions
First-year applicants for fall 2025 (U.S. News 2027 data); latest published Common Data Set is 2023-24
About 1 in 2 applicants is admitted
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
Middle 50% of admitted students scored in this range.
U.S. News reports a 62% acceptance rate. Illinois Tech's most recent published Common Data Set (2023-24) shows 8,912 first-year applicants and 4,939 admits for fall 2023 (55.4%). Admission can be to your first- or second-choice major, to the university (via the undeclared Discover+ program), or to the Ascend transfer pathway.
Typical entry requirements
| STEM track coursework (recommended) | Four years of math (pre-calculus or above highly recommended), four years of science (physics or AP Physics highly recommended), four years of English, three of social science |
|---|---|
| International secondary school record | Official or certified marks covering the last three full years plus all board examination scores; A-level, AP and IB students apply as first-years |
| English language | IELTS 6.5 · TOEFL iBT 80 Duolingo 115 also accepted. Waived with SAT reading/writing 550, ACT English 25, AP English 4-5, IB English A 5+, GCE/GCSE/IGCSE English grade A, Indian Standard XII English 60%+, Gaokao English 120+, or a degree from an exempt English-speaking country. Applicants below the minimum may receive conditional admission. |
Deadlines
- Early Decision Binding Next deadline · In 26 daysNovember 1, 2026
Binding. Decisions in December; deposit due March 15. Illinois Tech recommends Early Action instead if cost is a factor.
- Early Action Non-binding In 40 daysNovember 15, 2026
Non-binding. Decisions in January; deposit due May 1. Full-tuition scholarship applications (Camras, Crown, Duchossois, Leadership Academy) are due November 15 and require an ED or EA application.
- Regular Decision Non-binding In ~4 monthsFebruary 1, 2027
Decisions by March 15; deposit due May 1. International students already living in the U.S. may apply until June 1.
Illinois Tech's deadlines page lists month-and-day dates without a year and still refers to the 2026 cycle; the recurring dates are applied here to fall 2027 entry. Applications after the regular deadline are reviewed case by case. A spring-entry round closes October 15.
How to apply
Common App (no application fee); personal statement and Illinois Tech questions (some optional); official high school transcript; optional letters of recommendation (up to three) and optional SAT/ACT. International ED and EA applicants must send at least one recommendation, plus English test scores and, after admission, a passport copy and financial affidavit.
What admissions looks for
- High school performance: course selection and rigor (including math level for more selective majors) and grades in honors, AP or IB courses.
- Essays that show the quality of your thinking, a clear understanding of your academic interest, and any circumstances behind your grades.
- Fit with your chosen major, since each program sets its own criteria and STEM majors expect more math and science.
- Extracurricular, community and leadership involvement, and a specific explanation of how an Illinois Tech education serves your goals.
Tips for applying to Illinois Tech
- 1 Apply Early Decision or Early Action by mid-November if you want a shot at the full-tuition Camras, Crown, Duchossois or Leadership Academy scholarships, which go to about 4-5% of each first-year class.
- 2 List both a first- and second-choice major: the committee can admit you to either, or offer the undeclared Discover+ program.
- 3 If you apply for STEM, ask a calculus or physics teacher for your recommendation, and take four years of math through at least pre-calculus.
- 4 Tests are optional, but submitted scores are superscored, so send them only if they strengthen your file.
- 5 Confirm by March 15 to get priority housing, a free summer course and a $2,000 housing scholarship.
What are your chances?
Sign up to see your personalized admission chances for Illinois Institute of Technology
Sign up to see your chancesCosts & financial aid
2026-27 · figures in USD
All applicants are automatically considered for merit scholarships: domestic first-years for the Heald Scholarship ($80,000-$120,000 over four years) and international students for awards of $40,000-$100,000 over four years. Need-based aid requires the FAFSA; international students must document their funding with a Financial Affidavit of Support.
- 98%
- Undergraduates receiving some form of financial aid
- 87%
- Average need met for first-years awarded need-based aid (CDS 2023-24)
- 392 students, averaging $25,131
- Nonresident undergraduates receiving institutional aid (CDS 2023-24)
- $80,000 to $120,000 over four years
- Heald Scholarship (domestic first-years)
- $80,688 including books, transport, personal costs and loan fees
- 2026-27 cost of attendance, living on campus
Academics
Academic calendar: Semesters
Architecture
Taught in S. R. Crown Hall, the Mies van der Rohe landmark, on a campus he planned.
Honors Law (B.S./J.D.)
A 3+3 route (4+3 for engineers) into Illinois Tech's own Chicago-Kent College of Law.
Pre-health dual admission
Early-acceptance pathways into osteopathic medicine, pharmacy, dentistry and optometry with Midwestern University, LECOM and the Illinois College of Optometry.
Discover+
An undeclared track that lets students take core courses for up to two years before choosing a major.
Engineering and computing
Tech Futures groups the School of Computing and the School of Engineering, Applied Science, and Health, and fall 2025 first-years averaged 653 on SAT Math.
Research
- The Ed Kaplan Family Institute for Innovation and Tech Entrepreneurship houses the Institute of Design, maker spaces and startup programming.
- The Institute for Food Safety and Health, the Pritzker Institute of Biomedical Science and Engineering and the Wanger Institute for Sustainable Energy Research anchor research across the colleges.
- IIT Research Institute (IITRI), an independent not-for-profit contract research organisation, ran $29 million in research in FY24; the university reports $50 million in research awards.
- In fall 2024 Illinois Tech opened more than 34,000 square feet of wet labs at Chicago's Fulton Labs for biomedical and biological engineering.
Schools & faculties
- School of Computing
- School of Engineering, Applied Science, and Health
- School of Architecture
- School of Design and Society
- Stuart School of Business
- Chicago-Kent College of Law
Six months after graduation, 67.7% of 2025 bachelor's graduates were employed full-time and 10.4% were in further study (91% response). College Scorecard: median earnings of $82,592 ten years after entry and $70,803 six years after entry for federally aided students.
Student life
Illinois Tech is a small campus inside a big city: about 3,000 undergraduates share the Mies Campus with a larger graduate population, and residence halls range from Jeanne and John Rowe Village, named one of the coolest dorms in the nation by U.S. News, to George J. Kacek Hall, designed by Mies van der Rohe. More than 150 student organisations, including a Hyperloop team, the TechNews newspaper, esports and professional-society chapters, run over 650 events a year. The Scarlet Hawks compete in NCAA Division III, and downtown Chicago is a few stops away on the L.
- More than 150 student organisations and over 650 campus events a year
- 10 Greek chapters, eight fraternities and two sororities, part of campus life for more than 100 years
- Scarlet Hawks field 17 varsity teams in NCAA Division III
- Kaplan Institute maker spaces and startup programs open to all students
Housing. On-campus residence halls include Rowe Village, Gunsaulus, Carman, Cunningham and Mies-designed Kacek Hall; students who confirm by March 15 get priority housing selection.
Location
The Mies Campus is on Chicago's South Side, surrounded by historic Bronzeville, the Bridgeport neighbourhood and Chinatown. The CTA Green Line stops at 35th-Bronzeville-IIT and the Red Line at Sox-35th, so internships downtown and Chicago's museums, sports and 77 neighbourhoods are easy to reach. Illinois Tech calls itself a talent pipeline for the city, home to headquarters such as Boeing and Grubhub.
Nearest airport: Chicago Midway International (MDW) and O'Hare International (ORD), both linked to campus by public transport
Notable alumni
- MC Martin CooperMotorola engineer who invented the mobile phone (graduated 1950)
- MC Marvin CamrasInventor of high-fidelity magnetic wire recording and National Medal of Technology recipient (1940)
- VA Virgil AblohFounder of Off-White and designer for Louis Vuitton (M.Arch. 2006)
- SP Sam PitrodaTelecom pioneer who spread public call offices across India and chaired its National Knowledge Commission (master's in electrical engineering, 1966)
- JC John CalamosFounder and CEO of Calamos Asset Management (bachelor's 1963, MBA 1970)
- GK Gertrude KerbisArchitect who founded the firm Lempp Kerbis and the Chicago Women in Architecture group (1954)
- HJ Helmut JahnArchitect of Berlin's Sony Center and Chicago's James R. Thompson Center (studied at IIT, did not graduate)
Frequently asked questions
What is Illinois Tech's acceptance rate?
U.S. News reports a 62% acceptance rate for the latest cycle. The most recent Common Data Set Illinois Tech has published (2023-24) shows 4,939 admits from 8,912 first-year applicants, about 55%.
Does Illinois Tech require the SAT or ACT?
No. Tests are optional for all first-year, transfer and international applicants and for scholarships. If you submit, scores are superscored; the class profile shows a middle 50% of 1200-1380 on the SAT and 26-32 on the ACT.
How much does Illinois Tech cost in 2026-27?
Tuition is $53,198 plus $1,850 in fees, and on-campus housing and food add $18,548, for an estimated $80,688 cost of attendance. Merit scholarships are awarded automatically and 98% of undergraduates receive some aid.
Do international students get scholarships at Illinois Tech?
Yes. International applicants are automatically reviewed for institutional scholarships of $40,000 to $100,000 over four years, with no separate application, and must show they can fund the rest.
When are Illinois Tech's application deadlines?
Early Decision is November 1, Early Action November 15 and Regular Decision February 1. There is no application fee, and full-tuition scholarship candidates must apply ED or EA.
Sources & methodology
Figures on this page were checked against official university publications, national application services and ranking publishers in September 2026. Each number is shown with the year or admissions cycle it describes. Always confirm deadlines and fees on the university's own website before applying.
Explore nearby in the world top 100
Universities ranked close to Illinois Tech in the QS World University Rankings 2027.