Why Study Educational Psychology at Illinois?
Great minds from across the state, nation, and world choose Illinois. Our department has consistently been ranked in the top ten Educational Psychology programs in the nation by US News and World Report, and offers a stimulating, research-oriented graduate program at this Research One university. Twenty full-time faculty members, many of them are widely recognized leaders in their fields, as well as adjunct faculty, emeritus faculty, and zero-time faculty all serve the needs of our students. Graduate students work closely with faculty members in innovative, cutting-edge research in a broad spectrum of specialty areas.
The department of Educational Psychology is located in the College of Education, also one of the best in the nation. In addition, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign is one of the top public universities in the United States and has highly regarded programs in many different disciplines. The university library is the third largest library system in the US and is completely computerized. The campus is technologically sophisticated and fully networked, with many computer laboratories as well as supercomputer facilities. The university is the home of the Beckman Institute, a leading research and development site for supercomputing applications, and several faculty members in Educational Psychology hold joint appointments in this institute.
The rich and variety academic environment of UIUC means that students are exposed to a wide range of intellectual opportunities and substantial resources and support with which to pursue ideas. In addition, the campus is a leader in making facilities accessible for students with disabilities.
Who are our students?
The department has a graduate student enrollment of over 50.
Our students come from all over the US and all over the world. Among our current doctoral class, 41% are international students, including students from Brazil, Chile, China, Indonesia, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Singapore, South Korea, and Taiwan. We have worked hard to attract high quality students from minority populations, and currently our student population is 8% African-American, 11% Hispanic, 4% Multi-race, 31% Caucasian and 46% Asian/Pacific Islander. The multicultural diversity of our graduate students contributes to an interesting, exciting mix of ideas and experiences.
Most of our students are full-time and on campus.
How competitive are admissions?
We typically receive between 100-120 applications for admission to doctoral study in any single year, and admit approximately 22% of these students. Of the students who are admitted, over 70% ultimately accept our offer of admission. During the past two years, 35 students accepted admission offers for doctoral study. These 35 students had an average undergraduate grade point average of about 3.6, a GRE verbal score of 583, and a GRE quantitative score of 677.
What is the community like?
The UIUC campus is located in the middle of the two cities of Urbana and Champaign, about 130 miles south of Chicago and 170 miles northeast of St. Louis. The combined population of the Champaign and Urbana is just over 100,000. The community is in the midst of a rich farming area and has a suburban like environment. Public transportation is excellent, housing is plentiful, and the cost of living very reasonable. The university has a student population of over 37,000, with over 9,000 of these graduate and professional students. The university has one of the finest performing arts centers in the nation, with extensive programming in music, dance, and drama. There are also extensive facilities for physical activities, fitness, and recreation, and exciting college athletic events in most of the major sports (football, basketball, volleyball, soccer, baseball, etc.). For those who enjoy more urban environments, the opportunities and activities of Chicago, St. Louis, and Indianapolis are all within easy reach.