ACES maintains record-level undergraduate enrollment in fall 2026
The College of Agricultural, Consumer and Environmental Sciences at the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign continues a three-year run of record-level enrollment, reflecting sustained demand for the college’s programs.
This fall, ACES welcomed 542 first-year students and 155 transfer students. Overall undergraduate enrollment stands at 3,063 students, just 18 fewer than in fall 2025, when the college surpassed 3,000 students for the first time. Graduate enrollment stands at 767 students, with 167 new graduate students joining the college.
“Maintaining undergraduate enrollment at this level reflects the enduring relevance of the fields we teach,” said Dean Germán Bollero. “Students want to tackle consequential challenges — from feeding a growing population and protecting our natural resources to strengthening families, communities, and economies. ACES gives them the knowledge and skills to turn those ambitions into meaningful careers and real-world impact.”
Students in ACES can choose from more than 20 undergraduate majors spanning agriculture, engineering and technology, business and economics, food and nutrition, human development, communications and education, and environmental sciences.
“One of the things that sets ACES apart is how quickly students can move from learning about something to actually doing it,” said Anna Ball, associate dean for academic programs. “They can work alongside faculty in research, gain experience through internships and study abroad, and build relationships with mentors and alumni who are invested in where they go next. Students have the resources of Illinois behind them, but their ACES experience is still very personal.”
ACES continues to draw students from communities across Illinois. This fall, 85% of first-year students and 87% of all ACES undergraduates are Illinois residents. Across undergraduate and graduate programs, ACES students represent 95 of Illinois' 102 counties. The college also continues to provide a pathway to an Illinois education for students who are the first in their families to attend college, with first-generation students making up 26% of the incoming class and 28% of ACES undergraduates overall.
Strong enrollment in ACES tracks with continued enrollment growth at Illinois, which reported another record-setting year with total enrollment surpassing 61,000 students for the first time and its largest-ever first-year class.
New ALEC department expands undergraduate opportunities
This fall, Agricultural Leadership, Education and Communications became ACES’ eighth academic department, strengthening opportunities for students to complement their technical expertise with the skills needed to translate knowledge into action.
“ACES has always been a place where rigorous science and data drive discovery, but solving the challenges we take on requires more than technical expertise,” Ball said. “Students also need to know how to communicate complex ideas, lead people through change, educate and engage communities, and build trust. ALEC brings additional focus to those human-centered skills and creates new opportunities to strengthen them across the undergraduate experience in ACES.”
Prospective students interested in finding their place in ACES can learn more about undergraduate programs and how to apply to the college at aces.illinois.edu/admissions.