The University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) is a public university in Springfield, Illinois. The university was established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly and became a part of the University of Illinois system on July 1, 1995. As a public liberal arts college, and the newest campus in the University of Illinois system, UIS is a member of the Council of Public Liberal Arts Colleges. UIS is also part of the American Association of State Colleges and Universities and the American Council on Education. The campus' main repository, Brookens Library, holds a collection of nearly 800,000 books and serials in addition to accessible resources at the University of Illinois Chicago and University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign campuses.
The University of Illinois Springfield serves 4,146 students (Fall 2020) in 30 undergraduate degree programs, 20 master's degree programs, and a doctorate in Public Administration. The university was once one of the two upper-division and graduate universities in Illinois, but now accepts freshmen, transfer, and graduate students.
UIS celebrates its diversity with a campus comprised of students and faculty of various ages, backgrounds, and ethnicity.
Colleges: Business and Management, Education and Human Services, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Public Affairs and Administration
Research Funding: Approximately $7 million annually
History: Established in 1969 as Sangamon State University by the Illinois General Assembly. On July 1, 1995, became a campus of the University of Illinois, thereafter known as the University of Illinois Springfield.
Location: Southeast side of Springfield, Illinois, near Lake Springfield. Approximately 200 miles southwest of Chicago and 100 miles northeast of St. Louis.
Campus: 746 acres
US News & World Report rankings:
No. 1 public regional university in Illinois and No. 4 in the Midwest (2020, 2021, 2022).
No. 5 for students graduating with the least amount of debt, Midwest regional category (2021).
Top 10% online bachelor's degrees in the U.S. (2022)
Top 20 best value school, Midwest regional category, and the only public university in Illinois on the list (2022).
No. 12 best college for veterans, Midwest regional category (2022).
Among the 15 best public regional universities in the Midwest since 2006.
UIS welcomed the largest first-year class in university history in the fall of 2019.
The College of Business and Management is accredited by the AACSB, a distinction earned by less than 5% of business schools worldwide.
UIS alums comprise 28% of the college educated workforce residing in Springfield.
UIS and its students and alumni add $833 million to the Illinois economy annually.
