University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign Admitted Student Profiles & Alumni

Larry Ellison

Co-founder of Oracle Corporation

Attended (No degree)

Left in 1960s

Marc Andreessen

Co-creator of Mosaic browser; co-founder of Netscape and a16z VC firm

BS (Computer Science)

1993

Max Levchin

Co-founder of PayPal, Affirm

BS (Computer Science)

1997

Yousef Al Otaiba

UAE Ambassador to the United States

BA (International Relations)

1995

Nick Offerman

Actor (Parks and Recreation)

BFA (Theatre)

1993

Roger Ebert

Pulitzer Prize-winning film critic

BA (Journalism)

1964

Steve Chen

Co-founder of YouTube

BS (Computer Science)

2002

Jawed Karim

Co-founder of YouTube

BS (Computer Science)

2004

Ang Lee

Academy Award-winning director (Life of Pi, Brokeback Mountain)

MFA (Theatre)

1980

Alan Ruck

Actor (Ferris Bueller's Day Off, Succession)

BFA (Theatre)

1979

Scott Altman

NASA astronaut; flew on multiple Space Shuttle missions

BS (Aerospace Engineering)

1981

John Bardeen

Only person to win the Nobel Prize in Physics twice

BS, MS (Electrical Eng.)

1928, 1929

Edwin Hubble

Astronomer, namesake of the Hubble Space Telescope

PhD (Astronomy)

1917

Rafael Correa

Former President of Ecuador

MS (Economics)

1999

Donna Mills

Actress (Knots Landing)

BA (Drama)

1960s

Hugh Hefner

Founder of Playboy magazine

BA (Psychology)

1949

Jerry Orbach

Actor (Law & Order, Dirty Dancing)

Attended

1950s

Alan Belcher

AI & robotics pioneer; co-inventor of digital twin tech

PhD (Mechanical Engineering)

2000s

William S. Hammack

Known as “The Engineer Guy” on YouTube; engineering educator

PhD (Chemical Engineering)

1990s

Nancy Brinker

Founder of Susan G. Komen Breast Cancer Foundation

BA (Sociology)

1968

George Will

Pulitzer Prize-winning political columnist

MA (Political Science)

1968

Suze Orman

Financial advisor, TV personality

BA (Social Work)

1976

Betsy Brandt

Actress (Breaking Bad)

MFA (Acting)

1990s

Robert L. Johnson

Founder of BET (Black Entertainment Television)

MS (Public Affairs)

1972

Brian Sandoval

Former Governor of Nevada

JD

1989

Tom Hanks

Attended briefly before transferring

Attended

Left early

Manoj Bhargava

Inventor of 5-hour Energy drink

Attended

N/A

Catherine Coleman

NASA astronaut and chemist

BS (Chemistry)

1983

Peter Orszag

Former Director of the Office of Management and Budget (OMB)

BA (Economics)

1991

Ivan Doig

Award-winning author

MA (Journalism)

1969