The University of Illinois at Chicago is ranked among the top ten universities in the country for the diversity of the student body. UIC has the tradition of opening the doors of higher education for students from every ethnic/racial group, religion, gender, sexual orientation, physical condition, and age. The same breadth of diversity that we find among UIC students in their ethnic heritage is also found in the many types of students who choose to come to UIC. There is no 'typical story' for our students. The students at UIC represent the same ethnic diversity that is found in the Chicago area and the array of languages that can be heard around the campus attests to the richness and depth of the cultural heritage that they bring to UIC.

UIC's tradition of diversity was recognized in the 1999 issue of US News & World Report's "America's Best Colleges" in which UIC was named as one of the most racially diverse colleges in the nation, ranking 6th out of 228 universities. In 2000, the National Association of Student Personnel Administrators (NASPA), the association of university student affairs administrators, named UIC as winner of the Celebrating Diversity Award for the Midwest region.

In addition to the Urban Health Program, UIC has a vast network of programs to support diversity at the university such as the African-American Academic Network Center, Latin American Recruitment and Educational Services, Native American Support Program, Trio Academic Enrichment Programs, and others that provide academic counseling, tutoring, supplemental instruction, summer internships, and workshops.

In supporting diversity, UIC presents hundreds of events celebrating diversity every year. These include a variety of events related to Black History Month, Hispanic Heritage Month, Unity Month, Women's Heritage Month, and Native American Heritage Month.

UIC also provides a variety of offices, centers, and committees devoted to supporting its diverse student body and staff. These range from the Office of Disability Services to the Office of Women's Affairs to a wide range of committees sponsored by the Chancellor.