Are Georgia Tech and UIUC equally selective across different majors?

The biggest practical difference is that UIUC’s admissions difficulty is much more program-specific, while Georgia Tech’s first-year review is primarily admission to the Institute rather than a separate admit decision for each major. At UIUC, applicants are evaluated for the major or program they list, and highly subscribed options, especially computer science and some engineering programs, can be substantially tougher than other majors.

That means an overall acceptance rate is particularly misleading for UIUC. UIUC also makes entry into certain high-demand programs, particularly CS, difficult after enrollment, so the initial major choice carries real consequences.

Georgia Tech is highly selective across the board, especially for out-of-state applicants, but it offers more flexibility to explore and change majors after starting.

For an applicant targeting a capacity-limited UIUC program, major choice can materially change the odds; at Georgia Tech, your overall academic and personal profile is the more central admissions variable.