Gies College of Business is ranked #12 in the nation and #6 among all public business schools in the latest undergraduate rankings by U.S. News & World Report. This continues Gies Business’ longstanding legacy of ranking in the Top 20 of all business schools and Top 10 among public schools. Additionally, Gies is ranked #1 in the nation in accounting by U.S. News. The University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign also continues to fare well in the US News rankings. The university is ranked #34 overall and #8 among all public universities.
The business school rankings are based on surveys of deans and senior faculty members of the 500+ AACSB-accredited business programs around the country.
The quality of a Gies Business education is reflected in the success of our graduates. Ninety-six percent of the Gies Business undergraduate Class of 2025 secured a successful first destination, either employment or continuing education, within six months of graduation. Each of the College’s 11 majors boast a successful outcomes rate of at least 95 percent, underscoring the depth and quality of the education at Gies Business.
Among those graduates, 78% entered the workforce while 19% pursued additional education, reflecting a balance of immediate career placement and continued academic advancement. Compensation outcomes remained strong. Gies Business graduates reported a median starting salary of $81,000 and an average salary of $81,621, with an average signing bonus of $7,180. All three of those figures are all-time highs for Gies Business.
That career preparation starts long before graduates hit the job market. From their first semester on campus, students receive integrated support in career discovery, personal branding, networking, interviewing, and professional skills development.
The College’s curriculum weaves career readiness directly into coursework, helping students apply classroom learning toward internships, leadership experiences, study abroad, consulting projects, and long-term career goals. Career advisors work closely with students to help them translate their strengths into the communication, teamwork, and critical-thinking skills employers want most.
A key component of the success of Gies Business students is the College’s commitment to experiential learning. Every Gies undergraduate student participates in at least one real client project, where they can take what they’ve learned in the classroom and apply it to a real-world problem. In fact, 94% of Gies students report improved ability to solve problems, work in a team, and tell their story – and 95% believe they have a better story to tell recruiters, thanks to their experiential learning projects.
Gies Accountancy ranked #1 in nation
Gies College of Business’ undergraduate accounting program is ranked #1 in the nation, in the latest U.S. News & World Report rankings.
The comprehensive design of the Gies Business accounting major pays off in a big way for learners: the average starting salary of our graduates is $84,343, and in 2024–2025, 97% of accountancy students found jobs or attended graduate school within six months of graduation. As a public land-grant institution, Gies Business and the University of Illinois are committed to feeding the talent pipeline that keeps the accounting industry strong; in 2025, University of Illinois alumni passed more than 800 sections of the four-part Uniform CPA Exam
In addition to the recognition for undergraduate accounting, Gies’ faculty are also recognized as some of the best in the world. Gies Business currently ranks #1 in the two primary rankings of accounting research scholarship by Brigham Young University. The Department earned the #1 spot in the overall research and publications rankings and the #1 ranking in the Relevance of Accounting Research (ROAR). The research and publications rankings are determined not just on the volume of research but also on research appearing in leading journals in the field.
Including accounting’s #1 ranking, Gies ranked among the nation’s Top 30 in eight specialty areas:
- #1 Accountancy
- #16 Finance
- #11 Marketing
- #12 Management
- #17 Management Information Systems
- #30 Production/ Operations Management
- #13 Quantitative Analysis
- #23 Supply Chain Management