University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign Admission: Scholarship Guide for Saudi Students

Looking for University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign admission information? This guide covers what Saudi students need to know before applying: an overview of the university and its location in Urbana, Illinois, United States, whether it is on the recommended lists of the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Culture, the scholarship tracks and fields it is approved for, and the steps to apply. Every official detail here comes from the published lists (last updated in Mubta on 16 October 2026), so always check the official source before you decide.

About University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign is a public university in Urbana, Illinois, United States, founded in 1867. It has about 83,000 students. Official website: illinois.edu.

Is University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign recognised in Saudi Arabia?

• Ministry of Education: University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign is on the recommended list of the Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program for the 2026-2027 cycle, in Research and Development Track and Emdad Track tracks.
• Ministry of Culture: University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign is on the cultural scholarship list for a number of cultural and creative fields, but admission to it on the cultural scholarship is currently on hold (Admission is suspended because places on the cultural route are full).

Being on a list means the university is accepted for scholarships in the listed fields and degrees only, not in every subject it teaches. Check that your subject falls within the fields of the track you apply to, as set out below.

University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign scholarship: tracks and fields

If you plan to study on a University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign scholarship, these are the tracks that include it in the official lists, with the degrees and fields approved for each.

Research and Development Track (Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program)

Degrees in this track: Doctorate. Fields approved for University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign and the ministry's rank in each:

Emdad Track (Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques Scholarship Program)

Degrees in this track: Bachelor's degree and Master's degree. Fields approved for University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign and the ministry's rank in each:

Cultural scholarship (Ministry of Culture)

The university is listed for the cultural scholarship at all degree levels, in these fields:

• Libraries and data science

Note: admission to this university on the cultural scholarship is currently on hold: admission is suspended because places on the cultural route are full. Follow the Ministry of Culture's announcements for when it reopens; Mubta tells you of any change if you add the university to your list.

Studying at University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

What it is like to study at University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign depends on your degree and subject, but a few things matter to every Saudi student before applying:

• City: the university is in Urbana, United States. To study in Urbana means planning early for housing and living costs, so check the student housing options on the university's website.
• Degree level: bachelor's requirements differ from master's and doctoral ones; postgraduate programmes usually ask for recommendation letters and a research proposal or a statement of purpose.
• Visa and documents: once admitted, you need a student visa from the embassy or consulate of United States. Requirements differ from country to country, so check them on the embassy's official website well before you travel, and have your certificates attested and translated where needed.
• Subject: before applying, match the programme's name with the approved fields of your track, so that it counts for the scholarship.

International admissions at University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign

University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign publishes its admission requirements and dates for international students on its official website; they are the reference for the grades, language score and documents required. These official pages are the place to start:

• University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign official admissions page: requirements, documents and application dates.

How to get University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign admission

1. Choose your programme: decide on the subject and degree, and make sure both are within what the ministry's list includes for University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign.
2. Check the official entry requirements on the university's website: academic qualification and grades, language test, required documents and application dates.
3. Prepare your documents: transcripts and certificates (translated where needed), passport, statement of purpose, recommendation letters and CV.
4. Apply through the university's portal before the deadline, keep your application number and watch your email.
5. After admission: complete the scholarship procedures with the relevant authority under your programme's rules.

In Mubta you can follow your path to University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign admission in one place: the University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign page shows its recognition and tracks, and you can add it to your applications, track its dates, compare it with other universities and use the browser extension to fill application forms quickly. To learn about the scholarship programmes themselves, see the programmes page.

Other universities in United States on the scholarship lists

If you are weighing your options, these other universities in United States are also on the official lists, and you can compare them with University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign in Mubta:

• Northwestern University
• School of the Art Institute of Chicago
• Northern Illinois University
• University of Chicago
• University of Wisconsin - Madison
• Georgetown University

Sources

• Ministry of Education: the official lists of recommended universities.
• Ministry of Culture: the official lists of recommended universities.
• University of Illinois at Urbana - Champaign official website: programmes, entry requirements and dates.

This article is based on the official lists as published by the ministries and scholarship bodies; the lists and holds can change at any time. The official source has the final word.