iSchool at Illinois
The iSchool at Illinois is the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, offering BS, MS, PhD, and certificate programs in information sciences, library science, information management, and bioinformatics, with research labs in AI, social sensing, and health informatics.
- Company typePrivate
- Founded2000
- HeadquartersChampaign, United States
- Headcount101–250
- GTM typeB2C
- OfferingServices
What iSchool at Illinois does
iSchool at Illinois (formally the School of Information Sciences) is an academic unit within the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, a public research university in Champaign, Illinois. It delivers undergraduate (BS in Information Sciences, BSIS+Data Science), master's (MSLIS, MSIM, MS Bioinformatics), doctoral (PhD in Information Sciences), and certificate (School Librarian Licensure, Certificate of Advanced Study) programs to students both on-campus and online, with the MSLIS program claimed as #1 ranked and tracing its lineage to 1893. The school operates multiple research laboratories, including the Social Sensing and Intelligence Lab (Dong Wang) developing the MASH multimodal dataset for disaster response and public sentiment analysis, the iDEA-iSAIL Joint Laboratory (Jingrui He) focused on LLM reasoning and retrieval-augmented generation, the Center for Health Informatics (Ian Brooks) studying health infodemics, and the Center for Children's Books producing critical literature reviews.
The school generates revenue through three primary streams: tuition and fees for degree programs (with separate in-state/out-of-state and on-campus/online rate structures), sponsored research grants and contracts from agencies including NSF, NIH, IMLS, DHS, and Google, and private philanthropy supporting named scholarships and endowed positions. Pricing varies by program: most tuition flows follow UIUC's standard rate structures while MSIM operates as a self-supporting program without state subsidy. Go-to-market is multi-modal: dedicated admissions staff (Assistant Directors for undergraduate and graduate recruitment), iSchool Ambassadors (student liaisons), virtual and on-campus events, alumni network activation, and a Dean's Council. Distribution is on-campus classroom delivery combined with growing online MSLIS and certificate offerings accessible globally.
Research output is high-volume and externally validated, with multiple millions in annual grant funding (including a $5M NSF Convergence Accelerator award for the DART project) and frequent recognition through ASIS&T awards, ICWSM Best Dataset Paper, ICLR Outstanding Paper, Google PhD Fellowships, and NSF CAREER awards. Corporate partnerships with Snap Research, NVIDIA, and the National Park Service extend the school's reach beyond traditional academic boundaries. The iSchool maintains an active online presence across X, Facebook, Instagram, TikTok, LinkedIn, and YouTube and supports corporate engagement programs that channel iSchool graduates into employer pipelines.
iSchool at Illinois firmographics
Firmographics- Name
- iSchool at Illinois
- Legal name
- School of Information Sciences, University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign
- Website
- https://ischool.illinois.edu
- Company type
- Private
- Founded year
- 2000
- Operating status
- Operating
- Headcount range
- 101–250 employees
- Short description
- The iSchool at Illinois is the School of Information Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign, offering BS, MS, PhD, and certificate programs in information sciences, library science, information management, and bioinformatics, with research labs in AI, social sensing, and health informatics.
- Ownership category
- akta.pro rank
Where iSchool at Illinois is headquartered
LocationHeadquarters
- HQ city
- Champaign
- HQ country
- United States
- HQ region
- North America
Offices2 records
Markets served
iSchool at Illinois business model
Business model- GTM type
- B2C
- Offering type
- Services
- Cost components
- Personnel, Technology or R&D, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Infrastructure
Revenue model
- Tuition and Fees: The primary revenue stream comes from tuition and fees charged to undergraduate and graduate students for on-campus and online degree programs. Different rates apply for in-state and out-of-state students, with specific program costs for MSLIS, MSIM, MS Bioinformatics, PhD, and Certificate programs.
- Research Grants and Contracts: Significant funding from external agencies including National Science Foundation (NSF), National Institutes of Health (NIH), Institute of Museum and Library Services (IMLS), Department of Homeland Security, Google, and private foundations for specific research projects.
- Private Philanthropy: Donor-funded scholarships, the Volkmann Scholarship honoring library directors, Haricombe scholarship, and other named funds supporting students.
Pricing tiers
| Model | Billing | Price |
|---|---|---|
| Subscription | Annual | MS in Library and Information Science (Online) - tuition and financial support page |
| Subscription | Annual | BS in Information Sciences (On Campus) |
| Subscription | Annual | MS in Information Management (On Campus) |
| Subscription | Annual | MS in Bioinformatics (On Campus) - 36 credit hours |
| Subscription | Annual | Certificate of Advanced Study (Online and On Campus) |
Go-to-market motion3 records
Distribution channels3 records
Marketing channels6 records
iSchool at Illinois product offering
Product offeringCore offering
The iSchool at Illinois is an academic unit of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that delivers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs in information sciences, library science, information management, bioinformatics, and data science. It also conducts sponsored research at the intersection of people, information, and technology, and operates specialized research centers including the Center for Children's Books. Programs are offered on-campus in Champaign, IL and online.
Product overview
The iSchool at Illinois offers a portfolio of academic degree programs and certificates in information sciences. The core offerings include undergraduate programs (BS in Information Sciences, BS in Information Sciences + Data Science), graduate programs (MS in Library and Information Science, MS in Information Management, PhD in Information Sciences, MS in Bioinformatics), and certificate programs (School Librarian Licensure, Certificate of Advanced Study). These programs are designed to educate leaders in information sciences who impact communities through human-centered innovation.
Differentiator
Problem solved
Functional benefit
Brands
- Center for Children's Books (CCB): A research center focused on critical inquiry, professional training, and educational outreach related to youth-focused resources, literature, and librarianship. Also publishes the Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books (BCCB).
Products and services
- BS in Information Sciences
Quantifiable outcome
- Top-ranked MS in Library and Information Science program
- +3 more outcomes
Companies that use iSchool at Illinois
Customer profileNamed customers1 record
Segments4 records
Ideal customer profiles3 records
iSchool at Illinois technology and API
TechnologyTechnology focussed No
API detail
- Has API
- No
- API docs
- API detail
Core technology
AI maturity
App detail
AI capability6 records
Feature4 records
iSchool at Illinois partnerships and signals
Strategic signalPartnerships
Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.
- Snap ResearchcorePartnership with Professor Dong Wang's team at UIUC to build a 'Profile Agent' - a digital twin of user personality that evolves over time, addressing the limitation of static AI snapshots in apps.
- Loyola Marymount UniversityminorCollaboration on MASH dataset research involving co-author Lanyu Shang (PhD '23).
- Miami UniversityminorCollaboration on MASH dataset research involving co-author Yang Zhang.
- M.Kh. Dulaty Taraz University, KazakhstanminorInternational collaboration on MASH dataset research involving co-author Aslanbek Murzakhmetov.
- Abylkas Saginov Karaganda Technical University, KazakhstanminorInternational collaboration on MASH dataset research involving co-author Aliya Maussymbayeva.
- NVIDIAcoreAwarded NVIDIA Academic Grant Program with 32,000 A100 GPU-hours on Brev AI platform for AI project development. Awarded to Yaoyao Liu.
- National Park Service (NPS)coreOngoing collaboration on Books to Parks series connecting children's books to National Park Service sites. CCB contributed to multiple award-winning sites including Birmingham Civil Rights National Monument (OAH Stanton-Horton Award).
Scale indicators5 records
Recent moves7 records
Expansion highlights6 records
iSchool at Illinois competitors and assessment
Company assessmentDirect peers
- University of Michigan School of Information: UMSI is one of the top-ranked information schools in the U.S., offering BS, MS, and PhD programs in information science with a similar interdisciplinary, human-centered approach. It competes directly for the same applicants, faculty talent, and research funding as the iSchool at Illinois.
- University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information: Pitt SCI is a peer iSchool offering BS, MS, and PhD programs in information science with growing data science and informatics tracks, competing in the same Northeast/Midwest applicant pool.
- UC Berkeley School of Information: Berkeley's I School is a leading peer iSchool offering MS and PhD programs in information science with strong data science and human-computer interaction focus. It competes with Illinois for top graduate students, faculty, and research grants.
- Rutgers University School of Communication and Information: Rutgers SC&I is a peer iSchool offering MS and PhD programs in information science and communication, with comparable research focus areas in information access and digital inclusion.
- University of Maryland College Park College of Information Studies: UMD's iSchool offers MS and PhD programs in information science with strong human-computer interaction and data science research, making it a direct competitor to Illinois for graduate students and faculty.
- Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering: IU Luddy is a large peer iSchool offering BS, MS, and PhD programs spanning informatics, information science, and library science. It competes for the same student segments and shares a strong LIS heritage with Illinois.
- Drexel University College of Computing & Informatics: Drexel's iSchool is a peer institution offering BS, MS, and PhD programs in information science and library science with a strong online presence. It competes for the same online and on-campus students.
- Syracuse University School of Information Studies: Syracuse's iSchool is a founding member of the iSchools consortium and a direct competitor in library and information science education, offering online MSLIS and information management programs comparable to Illinois's portfolio.
- University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Library and Information Studies: UW-Madison SLIS is a peer LIS school offering MS and PhD programs with a similar traditional library and information science focus, competing for students interested in library careers.
- University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science: UNC SILS is a top peer iSchool offering BS, MS, and PhD programs in information and library science, directly competing for graduate applicants and research funding in the same information science category.
Market position
Strengths5 records
Weaknesses5 records
Competitive moat4 records
Key risks5 records
Key highlights7 records
Customer concentration
iSchool at Illinois social profiles
Digital presenceiSchool at Illinois financial estimates
Financial estimateRevenue estimate
Valuation estimate
iSchool at Illinois leadership team
Management profileNumber of profiles
Profiles17 records
iSchool at Illinois subsidiaries and ownership
Company hierarchySubsidiaries1 record
iSchool at Illinois funding detail
Funding detailFunding overview
Funding rounds
Investors
Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
iSchool at Illinois M&A and investment
M&A and investmentM&A
Investments
M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →
Frequently asked questions about iSchool at Illinois
What does iSchool at Illinois do?
The iSchool at Illinois is an academic unit of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign that delivers undergraduate, graduate, doctoral, and certificate programs in information sciences, library science, information management, bioinformatics, and data science. It also conducts sponsored research at the intersection of people, information, and technology, and operates specialized research centers including the Center for Children's Books. Programs are offered on-campus in Champaign, IL and online.
Is iSchool at Illinois a public or private company?
iSchool at Illinois is a private company. It is classified as state government owned and is currently operating.
When was iSchool at Illinois founded?
iSchool at Illinois was founded in 2000. It employs 101 to 250 people.
Where is iSchool at Illinois based?
iSchool at Illinois is headquartered in Champaign, United States, in the North America region.
How does iSchool at Illinois make money?
Three revenue lines are on record. Tuition and Fees are the primary driver. The others are research Grants and Contracts and private Philanthropy.
Who are iSchool at Illinois's main competitors?
Direct peers on record are University of Michigan School of Information, University of Pittsburgh School of Computing and Information, UC Berkeley School of Information, Rutgers University School of Communication and Information, University of Maryland College Park College of Information Studies, Indiana University Luddy School of Informatics, Computing, and Engineering, Drexel University College of Computing & Informatics, Syracuse University School of Information Studies, University of Wisconsin-Madison School of Library and Information Studies and University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill School of Information and Library Science.
Does iSchool at Illinois have an API?
No public API is recorded for iSchool at Illinois.