Since its founding in 1867, the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign has steadily gained in stature and is recognized as one of the leading universities in the world. The University is known primarily for its achievements in research and graduate studies. During the last academic year, the University attracted more than $390 million in external research funds. The University library has the largest collection of any public university in North America and ranks third among U.S. academic libraries.

Another prime indicator of the campus' excellence is the success of its alumni. Eleven alumni have won Nobel prizes for the United States and another 17 have won the Pulitzer Prize.

The campus is a major Midwestern center for the arts. The Krannert Center for the Performing Arts offers theater, concerts, and ballet. The campus Krannert Art Museum, with its new addition the Kinkead Pavilion, is second only to the Art Institute of Chicago among Illinois' public museums in size and value of collection.