Degree & Program Options
B.S. Computer Science (CS) students will gain a broad and deep knowledge of the theory, design and application of computing systems, with an emphasis on software systems. You’ll learn software design and informational processing techniques across topics from virtual reality to social computing, artificial intelligence and data science.
With over a dozen innovative Blended CS degrees based on the same set of core computing courses, we guarantee you’ll find the perfect degree program for you at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
(on-campus: B.S.-MCS non-thesis, B.S.-M.S. with thesis)
Guaranteed Admission to our Master of Computer Science (MCS) Programs
Students earning a bachelor’s degree in CS, a blended CS degree or a CS minor from the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign may be eligible for guaranteed admission into the online, Urbana or Chicago MCS programs offered by the Siebel School for Computing and Data Science. Recent University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign graduates may qualify for an application fee waiver.
TOP 7
ranked undergraduate computer science degree programs in the nation
(U.S. News and World Report)
Undergraduate Ranked Specialties
#6
artificial intelligence
#4
computer systems
#7
cybersecurity
#9
data analytics
data science
#4
mobile/web applictions
#6
programming languages
#3
software engineering
#10
theory
Undergraduate Career Success
95%
report having internship or co-op during degree program
96%
report
securing
first choice destination
97%
61% employed
36% continue education
upon graduation
Trending Industries & Fields
» AI and Machine Learning
» Computing for Science, Health and Climate
» Cybersecurity
» Fintech
» High performance and Edge computing
» Immersive Computing
» Quantum Computing
» Robotics and Autonomy
Sample Career Options
» API Engineer
» Application Developer
» Core Developer
» IT Operations
» Machine Learning Engineer
» Product Manager
» Quantitative Developer
» Research & Development
» Software Engineer
» Studio Tools Developer
Sample Employer Destinations
» Amazon
» Apple
» Capital One
» Google
» IBM
» Meta
» Microsoft
» Netflix
» Sandia National Laboratories
» Twitch
Sample Grad School Destinations
» University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
» Carnegie Mellon University
» Georgia Institute of Technology
» Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT)
» Stanford University
» University of California, Berkeley
The undergraduate engineering program at The Grainger College of Engineering is ranked #5 overall in the U.S. News & World Report (published September 2025). Listed above is our ranked undergraduate computer science program and specialties.
Post-graduate data was collected through the Illini Success initiative, which primarily relies on self-reported survey data sources. Statistics reported are from 2023-2024. For more information on Illini Success data and methods, please visit the Illini Success website.
Undergraduate Illini Success
What Are Our Graduates Doing?
Learn what Illini do after they graduate, including where they're employed, the average salaries they're making, and what graduate schools they're attending.
Guaranteed Admission for Illinois Graduates
Current students and alumni are eligible for guaranteed admission into any MCS program in the Siebel School of Computing and Data Science if they meet the following criteria:
- Have completed (or will complete before the first semester of MCS enrollment) a bachelor's degree in CS, CS + X, Mathematics & CS, Statistics & CS, or Computer Engineering or a minor in CS at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
- Have taken CS 374, either CS 340, CS 341 or ECE 391 and two 400-level CS courses with a 3.7+ GPA in these and all other CS courses taken.
Note: A complete application must be submitted to be considered for guaranteed admissions.
Guaranteed admission may be available for the Online MCS program even if these criteria are not fully met due to greater program capacity. For further information, reach out to the program staff for the program(s) you're interested in.