Getting into University of Illinois College of Medicine
The University of Illinois College of Medicine educates students on three campuses, Chicago, Peoria and Rockford, with rural and urban scholarly concentrations layered onto one MD. Here’s what it publishes for the Class of 2029, and how to read it. No odds, just sourced facts.
Updated September 2026 · 2026-2027 cycle · figures cited to UIC College of Medicine's official pages
What is the University of Illinois College of Medicine’s mission — and what does it signal?
“advance health for everyone through outstanding education, research, clinical care, and social responsibility.”University of Illinois College of Medicine1
“Everyone” and “social responsibility” frame the signal: this is a school that trains for both urban and rural Illinois, and its programs are organized around that. Experience with underserved communities, whether in a city neighborhood or a small town, reads as fit here, and a purely prestige-driven story reads as less so.
What makes the College’s curriculum distinctive?
The MD moves through three phases (foundational science, clinical training, advanced clinical work) plus electives, and students are assigned to Chicago, Peoria or Rockford for the duration of the program; campus assignment happens after interview day and is final.23 The distinctive layer is the scholarly concentrations:
- Rural tracks: RMED, a Rural Medical Education program at Rockford, and the Rural Student Physician Program at Peoria.4
- Urban and equity tracks: UMED (Urban Medicine, addressing healthcare disparities) at Chicago and Peoria, and EquIMED (Equity Innovation Medicine, low-resource settings) at Peoria.4
- Artificial Intelligence in Medicine (AIMED), on all campuses.4
- Joint degrees: the Medical Scientist Training Program (MSTP), MD/MPH, MD/MBA, MD/MS in Clinical and Translational Science and MD/MS in Biomedical Engineering, applied for after matriculation.5
How does Illinois review applicants?
Applications come through AMCAS, with a November 1 submission deadline; applicants who meet eligibility receive a secondary.6 Required coursework is two courses each of general biology, general chemistry, organic chemistry and general physics (with laboratory), one biochemistry, one advanced-level biology, and three behavioral or social science courses, all at a C or better.6 The MCAT must be within three years of enrollment. The Class of 2029 averages, MCAT 511 and GPA 3.82, are context for that file, not a cutoff, and because the school does not label the population we do not treat them as a description of only the enrolled class.1
What is the Illinois interview like?
Interview day includes an orientation, an introduction to the curriculum, Multiple Mini Interviews (MMI), and a one-on-one faculty interview, followed by Q&A.7 For 2025–26 the school states that all interviews are conducted virtually on Zoom, with breakout rooms; we do not have a stated format for 2026–27, so confirm it when you are invited.7 The number of MMI stations and their length are not stated on the page.
What are the secondaries like?
Eligible applicants receive a secondary application specific to the College, due back by December 1, with non-refundable fees.6 The prompts and fee amount are not published on the pages we reviewed. Letters are three to ten, with faculty, research mentors and supervisors preferred; a single health-professions advisory committee letter is accepted in place of three.6
What does Illinois cost — and what is not published?
The College’s 2026–27 first-year cost-of-attendance table for the Fall 2026, Spring 2027 and Summer 2027 terms lists tuition of $49,500 (resident) and $83,814 (non-resident), with mandatory fees of $6,350 listed separately; the Chicago and the Peoria & Rockford columns show the same figures.8 The pages cited here do not mention CASPer or PREview, and do not state a residency preference for admission.8
Who the University of Illinois College of Medicine tends to fit
Illinois fits applicants who want a large public MD with a genuine rural-or-urban identity and a choice of campus setting. With 59% Illinois residents in the Class of 2029 and a school that trains for Chicago, Peoria and Rockford alike,1 a concrete tie to Illinois communities, or to underserved settings elsewhere, is common and helpful. The concentrations suit someone who already knows they want to practice rural medicine, urban health equity or AI in medicine, and the joint-degree list suits applicants with a research or public-health plan.45 Because the campus assignment happens after the interview and is final, it fits people who can commit to whichever of the three campuses they are given.3 It fits less naturally an applicant who needs to choose a campus in advance, or who wants a small class: the College describes about 1,400 students enrolled across its three campuses.1
Serving Illinois, urban and rural — and committing to a campus.
The Class of 2029 averages, an MCAT of 511 and a GPA of 3.82, are the school’s only published class metrics, and its page does not say which population they describe, so read them as broad context rather than a precise benchmark. What the school does say clearly is its structure: three campuses, rural and urban concentrations, and joint degrees. The read: a record showing sustained engagement with real communities, and a reason to want the setting you would be assigned to, gives you the most to work with. That is a judgment about fit, not a prediction of admission. We publish no odds.
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Frequently asked
What MCAT and GPA does the University of Illinois College of Medicine publish?
Its admissions page lists an average MCAT of 511 and an average GPA of 3.82 under “Our Class of 2029.” The page does not say whether these describe matriculants or accepted applicants, and they are averages, not cutoffs.1
How many Illinois residents are in the class?
The same block lists 59% Illinois residents for the Class of 2029, without stating the population.1
How big is the entering class?
The College does not publish a single entering-class size on the pages we reviewed, so we do not state one. It describes about 1,400 students enrolled across its three campuses in total.1
What is the interview format?
Interview day includes MMI stations and a one-on-one faculty interview. For 2025–26 the school states all interviews are virtual on Zoom; confirm the current format when invited.7
What letters does the College require?
Three to ten letters, with faculty, research mentors and supervisors preferred. A single health-professions advisory committee letter is accepted in place of three.6
What does the College cost?
For the first year (Fall 2026, Spring 2027 and Summer 2027 terms), listed tuition is $49,500 (resident) and $83,814 (non-resident), with mandatory fees of $6,350 listed separately, the same in the Chicago and the Peoria & Rockford columns. Confirm the current schedule.8
Sources — UIC College of Medicine official pages
- Admissions page (Class of 2029 averages, mission, enrollment): https://medicine.uic.edu/admissions/
- MD program curriculum: https://medicine.uic.edu/education/md/
- Campus assignment: https://medicine.uic.edu/admissions/campus/
- Scholarly concentration programs: https://medicine.uic.edu/education/md/scholarly-concentration-programs/
- Joint degree programs: https://medicine.uic.edu/education/md/joint-degree-programs/
- How to apply (prerequisites, secondary, letters): https://medicine.uic.edu/admissions/how-to-apply/
- Interview day: https://medicine.uic.edu/admissions/interview-day/
- Cost of attendance (MD tuition and fees 2026–27): https://medicine.uic.edu/students/financial-aid/cost-of-attendance/
Figures are the College’s own published averages under “Our Class of 2029” (entered 2025); the school does not state the population, so they are not called matriculant figures, and no entering-class size is shown because none is published. Interview format is the school’s 2025–26 statement. CASPer/PREview policy and any residency preference are not stated on the pages we reviewed. Tuition excludes living costs. No acceptance rate or admission odds are shown, by policy. Not affiliated with or endorsed by UIC College of Medicine; confirm all requirements on the school's official pages. Nothing here predicts an admission decision.