The state budget proposed today by Gov. JB Pritzker would provide a 1 percent increase in state-appropriated general operating funds for the University of Illinois System. If approved by the General Assembly and signed into law, the governor’s proposed budget would increase the system’s general funds appropriation to $736.5 million for the coming fiscal year.

The decision to attend college usually comes with a catch: You can go, but only if you can afford it. Across the country, that calculation fails—college costs rising, aid falling short, families left to bridge the gap or walk away. In Illinois, something different is happening. This year, the University of Illinois System enrolled over 100,000 students for the first time in its history—a milestone powered by a simple principle: Cost should never close the door to opportunity.

The 2025 University of Illinois System annual report, Collective Strength, Public Good, is now available. It reflects the essence of our mission: expanding access, driving discovery, and delivering impact—while highlighting our steadfast commitment to serving Illinois while making a difference nationally and globally.

Our new 2026 edition of Pocket Facts is your go-to resource for data-based highlights from the University of Illinois System’s universities, healthcare enterprise, and collaborative entities such as Illinois Innovation Network and Discovery Partners Institute—all essential to the state’s economic power. Bookmark or download now!

The Illinois Innovation Network has awarded over $160,000 to two new social innovation seed grant projects. These two newly funded projects bring the total recipients of the IIN’s Social Innovation and Impact Seed Grant program to seven.