The Gies College of Business at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign is known for its competitive acceptance rate. With a total admit rate of 43.7% and a first-choice admit rate of 34.7%, getting accepted into this prestigious business school is no easy feat. The college boasts an average GPA of 3.15 for its graduate programs, making it one of the most selective colleges at UIUC.

To gain acceptance into the Gies College of Business, prospective students should aim for a GPA range between 3.61-3.95. Additionally, strong SAT scores ranging from 1300-1500 and ACT scores between 28-34 are recommended for a competitive application. The school values academic excellence and looks for students who have demonstrated a commitment to their studies and show potential for success in a business-related field.

The admission process at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign involves submitting a completed application, official transcripts, letters of recommendation, standardized test scores, and a personal statement. Prospective students should also be prepared for potential interviews and additional requirements specific to the Gies College of Business. With an acceptance rate lower than 50%, it is important for applicants to showcase their academic achievements and passion for business in order to stand out among the pool of candidates.

University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign – Gies College of Business Acceptance Rate and GPA Requirements

Acceptance Rate Information

Admit Rate	First-Choice Admit Rate	College Admit Rates (First-Choice Major Only)	College of Media Admit Rate	Division of General Admit Rate
43.7%	34.7%	45.5%	43.7%	N/A

GPA Requirements

Average GPA	Required GPA	Most Selective Colleges GPAs
3.15	Yes	Gies College of Business (3.61-3.95) and Grainger College of Engineering (3.75-4.00)

SAT and ACT Scores

Average SAT Scores	Average ACT Scores
1300-1500 (without the writing section)	28-34

Gies School Of Business

Gies College of Business is the business school of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. The college offers on-campus undergraduate program, on-campus and online masters programs, and a PhD program. The college and its Department of Accountancy are separatedly accredited by AACSB International.

As of 2021, there are more than 70,000 Gies Business alumni worldwide, including several Fulbright scholars.

History

The University of Illinois College of Business has a long and storied history, beginning in 1914 with an idea by David Kinley—a university vice president who would later become the University of Illinois’s president. On June 9, 1914, he suggested forming the College of Commerce and Business Administration. The university senate approved his idea on June 9, 1914, and the University of Illinois Board of Trustees officially formed the college on April 27, 1915.

It began with three departments: Economics, Business Organization and Operation, and Transportation.

Since 2015, Gies College of Business has partnered with Coursera to offer online MBA program and an online MSA program. The school started with 113 students in the beginning for the online programs and later grew to more than 3,200 degree-seeking students from 46 states in United States and more than 90 countries in the world. The selectivity and acceptance rate to the program initially was 20.9% and is currently at 53%.

In 2019, the school announced that it was suspending its on-campus full-time MBA, part-time MBA, and executive MBA.

College naming gifts
In 2017, alumni Larry and Beth Gies donated US$150 million to the school, which was renamed the Gies College of Business in their honor. In 2020, alumnus Don Edwards donated US$10 million and the business school also further received a pledge in 2020 for $2.5 million for construction of shared instructional facility.

Campus
Main article: Business Instructional Facility

David Kinley Hall, June 2003.
Gies College of Business is located in Champaign, Illinois. The campus is located around the intersection of Gregory Street and Sixth Street. This is the current home of Gies College of Business. When the college was first formed, however, it occupied the Commerce Building, now the East half of the Administration Building on the Main Quad. The Commerce building, dedicated in 1913, was built at a cost of $100 thousand.[citation needed]

The college currently occupies three buildings: Wohlers Hall, Business Instructional Facility (BIF), and the Irwin Doctoral Study Hall. This area is known as the Business Quad and is considered part of the South Campus.[citation needed]

Wohlers Hall, formerly known as Commerce West, was built in 1963. Albert H. and Jane Wohlers provided a $6 million naming gift in 2000 for renovations.

The Business Instructional Facility (commonly referred to as “BIF”), approved by the UI Board of Trustees on July 14, 2004, stands opposite of Wohlers Hall across Sixth Street. The $62 million project, designed by architect Cesar Pelli, is LEED-certified because of its “green”, environmentally friendly elements.

Academic departments
Gies College of Business houses three departments: Accountancy, Business Administration, and Finance.

Accountancy

Wohlers Hall during the Spring of 2004.
The Department of Accountancy was founded in 1953.

The University offered courses in accounting before the creation of the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign College of Business. The courses in the university were offered through the Department of Economics from 1902 to 1915. The college began the first PhD program in 1937 and has graduated more accountancy PhD candidates than any other accountancy department in the United States. After the formation of the college, the accountancy program was moved into the Department of Business Organization until the Department’s reorganization in the 1950s.

In 1919, H.T. Scovill helped establish the Beta Alpha Psi accounting honor society.

Business Administration

The Business Instructional Facility during the Fall of 2008.
The Department of Business Administration was founded in 1968 through the mergers of the Department of Industrial Administration and Marketing and the Graduate School of Business Administration.

Finance
In 1957, the UI Board of Trustees approved the Dean’s proposal to create a Department of Finance. The MSF program began the following year.

gies college of business admission requirements

All applicants
• ECON 102, Microeconomic Principles
• ECON 103, Macroeconomic Principles
• One of the following: MATH 115, Preparation for Calculus or MATH 220, Calculus or MATH
221, Calculus I or MATH 231, Calculus II or MATH 234, Calculus for Business I, or STAT
100, Statistics1
• RHET 105, Writing and Research2
• CS 105, Intro Computing: Non-Tech3
• Language Other Than English (LOTE)4
Applicants with 50+ graded college credits by end of the spring term
• ACCY 201, Accounting and Accountancy I5
• ACCY 202, Accounting and Accountancy II5
If you are unable to complete all required courses by the end of spring term, please provide an
explanation for each missing course within your application.
CMN 101, Public Speaking, is strongly recommended, as well as other courses that meet general
education requirements. See the Gies Business General Education Requirements for guidance. Students
should work with their current academic advisor to determine appropriate coursework.
Review Process
The Gies College of Business admissions committee uses a holistic review process to assess the entire
student record (academic performance, listed activities, and included essays). Completion of required
coursework and overall academic performance are heavily considered in the admission decision.
Students who have graded courses or college credit for the required courses listed in this document will
have the strongest applications. The probability of admission for those who have not completed all
required courses at the conclusion of the spring semester is extremely low, based on the historical
strength of the applicant pool. Ideally, transfer students will have 24-70 graded college credit hours by
the end of the spring semester.

gies college of business admission requirements

Admission Eligibility and Requirements
Transfer GPA of 3.0 (A = 4.00) or higher. For Fall 2021, the average transfer GPA for admitted
students was 3.8.
First bachelor’s degree-seeking student. Second bachelor’s degree applications are not eligible due
to space limitations.
Completion of listed required courses by the conclusion of the spring semester. Applicants
are not permitted to complete requirements in the summer term preceding enrollment. Gies
Business undergraduate programs have very specific curricula, and these courses are a part of the
foundation for upper-level coursework. Having these courses completed by the end of the spring
semester preceding enrollment shows that a student could step right into curricula without being behind
in knowledge and course sequence.
Required courses could be met through two ways: AP/IB test scores or courses at another institution.
There is no universal award system for AP/IB exam scores at all colleges and universities. Even if AP/IB
exam scores award credit on a student’s transcript at their current institution, it does not guarantee credit
will be awarded in the same manner at UIUC. Therefore, to use AP/IB exam scores for admission
consideration and college credit, students must refer to the UIUC score cut-offs listed here:
University of Illinois Transfer Handbook Effective: 8/1/21 – 7/31/22
GIES COLLEGE OF BUSINESS
CONTACT INFORMATION: Phone: (217) 244-3890; E-mail: admissions@business.illinois.edu;
https://giesbusiness.illinois.edu/admissions
www.admissions.illinois.edu/Apply/Freshman/college-credit . For classes taken at another institution,
use www.transferology.com to check current transfer course articulations.