Our university was founded with the goals of true impact and innovation for all people in mind, and its community of scholars has been changing lives ever since. Backed by this rich legacy, you too will harness your power as an Illini.
We began with the working class in mind. Thanks to the Morrill Acts of 1862 and 1890, the university was designated as a land-grant institution. This means that the government reserved land for the creation of a university that should aim to provide agricultural, scientific, military, and technical education to the people of the state of Illinois, no matter their background or socioeconomic level.
"I have the land-grant mission in my blood. I am a product of it. It is what brought me into higher education, from a sharecropping family in Georgia. We need to find ways to make that story possible for everyone … "
Chancellor Robert J. Jones, 2016
We're more than just a university. We're a hub of research and innovation. We're a diverse and inclusive community of people who are already making a global impact. We're a creative cultural microcosm where the arts flourish along with the sciences. We're everything an academic institution ought to be and more. Our academic tradition and continued commitment to making the world a better place have changed lives for the better.
Explore the history and mission of our campus further.