Chicago Tribune Continues Unfair Press About UIUC, State of Illinois

The Chicago Tribune is running a chart-article showing that admission of Illinois residents at the University of Alabama is growing at a very rapid pace. As of 2107, 4.1% of Alabama students come from Illinois.

The implication of the article is that the University of Illinois is not doing enough to be competitive in keeping students.

Here’s what the Chicago Tribune isn’t telling its readers:

At UIUC, 74 percent of undergrads are from Illinois. That’s the highest in-state percentage of any Big Ten school except Rutgers (NJ). Wisconsin's in-state level is 57 percent, Michigan's is 51 percent and the Big Ten average is 62 percent.

Here’s another important statistic that the Chicago Tribune is not reporting.

The graduation rate at UIUC is 85%. The graduation rate at the University of Alabama is 67%. 

That’s a big difference. 

Is it because UA students aren’t prepared for the rigors of college? Is that where students and parents believe a promising student can thrive?

Is it because non-residents are dropping out, perhaps for cultural or other reasons?

Here is another big difference: the student loan default rate at the University of Alabama is 5.7%; the default rate at UIUC is 1.7% (U.S. Department of Education statistics for most recent reporting, 2014).

How does Alabama explain to parents and students-- who maybe chose the school because it's cheaper than UIUC-- that their ungraduated students are saddled with student loan debt but have no degree to show for their Alabama tuition, housing and fees?

Come on, Trib. Sure, there are things to criticize at UIUC. But your writers pretend that the alternatives to the University of Illinois—and to the State of Illinois— are clearly superior.

If that’s true, why don’t you change your name to the Birmingham Tribune and see how many papers you can sell with that fancy title.