University of Illinois Chicago

What University of Illinois Chicago does

University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) is a public research-1 university established in its current form in 1982 through the merger of the University of Illinois at Chicago Circle and the University of Illinois at the Medical Center, and operating as the largest campus of the University of Illinois System. UIC serves more than 34,000 students across 15 colleges spanning Applied Health Sciences, Architecture, Business, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Social Work, and Law, with a second-largest freshmen class in which 40% of students are first-generation. The university also operates UI Health, an integrated academic medical center delivering over 1.5 million patient visits annually through its hospital, specialty clinics, and the Federally Qualified Mile Square Health Center network.

UIC's research enterprise spans biomedical, energy, environmental, and computational sciences, with $491 million in FY25 Health Sciences research funding and active federal grants from NIH, NSF, DOE, and HHS. Notable technology programs include boron nitride nanotube membranes for energy applications, the manikomycin antibiotic discovery, cuffless blood pressure wearables using physics-informed machine learning, Alzheimer's digital twins, and AI-driven research collaborations with Argonne National Laboratory. The university has seven health sciences colleges producing approximately 1 in 8 Illinois physicians, 1 in 4 social workers, 40% of Illinois dentists, and over 8,000 Illinois nurses.

Revenue is generated across five streams: tuition and fees (with a $0 tuition program for families earning under $75,000), UI Health clinical services, federal and state research grants, state appropriations through the University of Illinois System, and alumni philanthropy supporting a 360,000+ alumni network. The university is governed by the Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois and is not a privately held entity. Longstanding strategic alliances include the Morningstar Design Scholarship (relationship dating to 1992), Argonne National Laboratory, the City of Chicago for the 277-sensor Open Air Chicago air quality network, and ComEd for the Midwest Center for Microgrid Cybersecurity.

Name

University of Illinois Chicago

Legal name

The Board of Trustees of the University of Illinois

Website

https://uic.edu

Company type

Public

Founded year

1982

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

5,001–10,000 employees

Short description

University of Illinois Chicago is a public research-1 university serving 34,000+ students across 15 colleges, operating the integrated UI Health academic medical center (1.5M+ annual patient visits), and driving $491M in annual health sciences research funding across biomedical, energy, and computational domains.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Public Higher Education

NAICS

Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (6113), Colleges, Universities, and Professional Schools (61131)

SIC

Services-Health Services (8000), Services-Offices & Clinics Of Doctors Of Medicine (8011)

akta.pro primary industry

Public Research Universities with Academic Medical Centers (AMCs) (EDAHAAAC)

akta.pro secondary industries

Academic Medical Centers & Teaching Hospitals (University-Affiliated) (EDAHAGAA), Schools of Nursing (EDAHAGAC), Online Healthcare & Nursing Universities (Allied Health, RN-to-BSN, etc.) (EDAHALAF)

Keywords

• Public higher education
• Academic medical center
• Healthcare delivery services
• Biomedical research programs
• Graduate professional education

Headquarters

HQ city

Chicago

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices8 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B and B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Technology or R&D, Infrastructure, Others

Revenue model

1. Tuition and fees: Tuition revenue from undergraduate and graduate students, with $0 tuition and fees program for families earning $75,000 or less
2. Healthcare services revenue: UI Health healthcare delivery enterprise providing over 1.5 million patient visits annually generating healthcare services revenue
3. Research grants and funding: Federal and state research funding including $491M total annual Health Sciences Research Funding (FY25)
4. Alumni donations and philanthropy: Alumni Association with 360,000+ alumni network supported by charitable contributions including $1M Morningstar Design Scholarship commitment
5. State appropriations: State of Illinois funding for public university operations as part of University of Illinois System

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels5 records

Marketing channels7 records

Core offering

University of Illinois Chicago is a public research university that delivers undergraduate and graduate degree programs across 15 colleges, including Applied Health Sciences, Architecture, Business, Dentistry, Education, Engineering, Liberal Arts and Sciences, Medicine, Nursing, Pharmacy, Public Health, Social Work, and Law. It also operates UI Health, an academic medical center providing comprehensive patient care, medical education, and clinical research training to over 1.5 million patients annually.

Product overview

The University of Illinois Chicago is a public research university serving over 34,000 students. The institution offers a single unified portfolio of educational services rather than a platform-plus-modules architecture. Core offerings include undergraduate and graduate degree programs across multiple colleges, UI Health (academic healthcare delivery enterprise), research services, student affairs programs, and alumni association services. These offerings operate as interconnected parts of a comprehensive public university system.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Brands

• UI Health: The academic health system of the University of Illinois Chicago, providing comprehensive healthcare, education, and research through its hospital, clinics, and health sciences colleges.

Products and services

• Undergraduate and Graduate Degree Programs

Quantifiable outcome

• Over 1.5 million patient visits annually through UI Health
• +4 more outcomes

Named customers2 records

Segments4 records

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature6 records

Partnerships

16 partnerships are on record, tiered minor and core.

• Rutgers UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 23 June 2026Joint development of boron nitride nanotube membranes that transport lithium ions 31 times faster than standard predictions. Membranes successfully powered small electronics using only salt-solution gradients with potential for lithium recovery from waste batteries.
• McMaster UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 11 June 2026Discovery of new antibiotic manikomycin produced by soil bacteria that kills antibiotic-resistant bacteria through novel mechanism targeting ribosomes. Compound achieved remarkable efficacy in testing against E. coli and Klebsiella pneumoniae.
• University of UtahminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 June 2026Joint development of wearable smartwatch that continuously monitors blood pressure without traditional inflatable cuffs using electrical bioimpedance and physics-informed machine learning. Tested on 150 people including ICU patients.
• City of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 May 2026Partnership for 'Open Air Chicago' - nation's largest air quality sensor network with 277 solar-powered sensors deployed across the city. Network measures fine particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide every 10 minutes with data available to residents via interactive map.
• Argonne National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 21 May 2026Launching three AI-driven research collaborations focused on brain mapping, forever-chemical detection in water, and AI-assisted surgery. Each project receives $225,000 per year for two years through inaugural Convergence Intelligence Seed Funding Program backed by George Crabtree Institute.
• BLDE Deemed UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 March 2026Academic partnership agreement enabling students and faculty from both institutions to take elective subjects at each other's campuses. Formalized during BLDEDU Vice-Chancellor Arun Inamdar's visit to the USA, following discussions with Associate Dean Prabhakar Bellur under guidance of BLDEDU Chancellor Basanagouda M. Patil.
• Pennsylvania State University (Penn State)minorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 26 January 2026UIC researchers received $900,000 NSF funding in collaboration with Penn State to develop digital twins of Alzheimer's disease patients incorporating clinical data, body measurements, and biological markers for diagnosis and treatment simulation.
• University of ChicagominorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025Research collaboration with Vanderbilt University developing new bottom-up method to synthesize MXenes - 2D materials - that is significantly more cost-effective and environmentally friendly than traditional methods for energy storage applications.
• Vanderbilt UniversityminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 19 December 2025Joint research with University of Chicago on safer, cheaper method for creating futuristic MXenes using bottom-up approach. New technique enables broader applications in energy storage, catalysis, and electromagnetic shielding.
• U.S. Fish and Wildlife ServiceminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025Collaboration on nationwide conservation benefit agreement for bumble bees proposed by UIC. Agreement would support 11 at-risk bumble bee species on energy and transportation lands across lower 48 states, streamlining permitting while maintaining pollinator conservation.
• Wisconsin Department of Natural ResourcesminorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 8 December 2025Collaboration on nationwide conservation benefit agreement for bumble bees alongside U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service. Partnership aims to streamline permitting for energy and transportation projects while maintaining pollinator conservation outcomes.
• Illinois Institute of Technology (Illinois Tech)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2025Midwest Center for Microgrid Cybersecurity bringing together researchers from Illinois Tech's Galvin Center, Argonne National Laboratory, UIC, and Commonwealth Edison Company to create virtual fencing technology protecting power grids from cyberattacks.
• Commonwealth Edison Company (ComEd)coreImplementation/ SI/ Consulting Partner · 3 June 2025Partnership in Midwest Center for Microgrid Cybersecurity to develop cybersecurity software protecting power grids. ComEd provides industry expertise for virtual fencing technology that can contain threats within microgrid sections.
• Argonne National LaboratorycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 3 June 2025Collaboration in Midwest Center for Microgrid Cybersecurity developing virtual fencing technology for power grid protection. Argonne contributes research expertise to cybersecurity software protecting from sophisticated cyberattacks.
• University of ChicagocoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2024Brain mapping collaboration developing new imaging technology to map the brain's connectome. Received $4.8 million NIH BRAIN Initiative grant to adapt photoemission electron microscopy (PEEM) for faster brain imaging to democratize neuroscience data analysis.
• Chicago State UniversitycoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 22 October 2024Three-university collaboration for brain mapping with University of Chicago. Received $4.8 million NIH BRAIN Initiative grant to develop faster microscope for mapping brain connections using photoemission electron microscopy.

Scale indicators19 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights7 records

Direct peers

• University of Michigan: Large public research university with a top-ranked academic medical center (Michigan Medicine), serving 47,000+ students and over $1.6B in research expenditures. Most directly comparable Big Ten peer to UIC in scale, urban-adjacent setting, and AMC integration.
• Ohio State University: Big Ten public research university with the Wexner Medical Center AMC and 60,000+ students. Comparable in scale, urban land-grant profile, and integration of health sciences, research, and public-mission access.
• University of Minnesota Twin Cities: Large Big Ten public research university with M Health Fairview academic medical center. Comparable in health sciences research intensity, urban location, and public-mission student demographics.
• University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign: Sister institution within the University of Illinois System, sharing the same Board of Trustees and state appropriation pool. Most directly comparable for governance, funding dynamics, and student population; UIUC lacks the integrated AMC that distinguishes UIC.
• University of Wisconsin-Madison: Big Ten public research university with UW Health academic medical center. Comparable in scale, public research intensity ($1.3B+ research), and integration of health sciences education with clinical delivery.
• University of Iowa: Big Ten public research university with University of Iowa Health Care, including a top-ranked hospital. Strong overlap with UIC on health sciences workforce training (notably the only other Big Ten with comparable nursing/pharmacy scale).
• Indiana University: Big Ten public research university system with IU Health academic medical center and 90,000+ students across campuses. Comparable in scale, public-mission access, and AMC integration model.
• Rutgers University: Large public research university (Big Ten) with integrated academic medical center and comparable urban footprint. Direct joint research partner (boron nitride nanotube membranes) and similar state-university governance and funding model.

Broad incumbents

• Northwestern University: Elite Chicago-based private research university with Northwestern Medicine AMC. Competes directly with UIC for top faculty, federal research grants, and graduate students; far larger endowment enables outsized per-student investment.
• University of Chicago: Elite Chicago private research university with UChicago Medicine AMC. Direct collaborator (NIH BRAIN Initiative) and competitor for biomedical research funding and STEM graduate students in the same metro.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat6 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/thisisUIC
• YouTubeyoutube.com/user/thisisUIC
• Facebookfacebook.com/uic.edu
• Instagraminstagram.com/thisisuic
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/university-of-illinois-at-chicago

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles4 records

Subsidiaries2 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds8 records

Investors6 records

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about University of Illinois Chicago