A traditional measure of an educational institution's peers is to use its Carnegie Classification. This classification takes a wide number of factors into consideration when assigning a classification to each institution, including the types of degrees it offers, the breadth of disciplines it covers, etc. The Carnegie Cohort defined below is the list of all institutions which held the same Carnegie Classification as UIUC as of 2004.

• AMERICAN UNIVERSITY (WASHINGTON, DC)
• ARIZONA STATE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (TEMPE, AZ)
• AUBURN UNIVERSITY MAIN CAMPUS (AUBURN UNIVERSITY, AL)
• BOSTON COLLEGE (CHESTNUT HILL, MA)
• BOSTON UNIVERSITY (BOSTON, MA)
• BRANDEIS UNIVERSITY (WALTHAM, MA)
• BRIGHAM YOUNG UNIVERSITY (PROVO, UT)
• BROWN UNIVERSITY (PROVIDENCE, RI)
• CALIFORNIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (PASADENA, CA)
• CARNEGIE MELLON UNIVERSITY (PITTSBURGH, PA)
• CASE WESTERN RESERVE UNIVERSITY (CLEVELAND, OH)
• CATHOLIC UNIVERSITY OF AMERICA (WASHINGTON, DC)
• CLAREMONT GRADUATE UNIVERSITY (CLAREMONT, CA)
• CLEMSON UNIVERSITY (CLEMSON, SC)
• COLORADO STATE UNIVERSITY (FT COLLINS, CO)
• COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY IN THE CITY OF NEW YORK (NEW YORK, NY)
• CORNELL UNIVERSITY-ENDOWED COLLEGES (ITHACA, NY)
• CUNY GRADUATE SCHOOL AND UNIVERSITY CENTER (NEW YORK, NY)
• DUKE UNIVERSITY (DURHAM, NC)
• EMORY UNIVERSITY (ATLANTA, GA)
• FLORIDA INTERNATIONAL UNIVERSITY (MIAMI, FL)
• FLORIDA STATE UNIVERSITY (TALLAHASSEE, FL)
• FORDHAM UNIVERSITY (BRONX, NY)
• GEORGE WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (WASHINGTON, DC)
• GEORGETOWN UNIVERSITY (WASHINGTON, DC)
• GEORGIA INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY-MAIN CAMPUS (ATLANTA, GA)
• GEORGIA STATE UNIVERSITY (ATLANTA, GA)
• HARVARD UNIVERSITY (CAMBRIDGE, MA)
• HOWARD UNIVERSITY (WASHINGTON, DC)
• INDIANA UNIVERSITY-BLOOMINGTON (BLOOMINGTON, IN)
• IOWA STATE UNIVERSITY (AMES, IA)
• JOHNS HOPKINS UNIVERSITY (BALTIMORE, MD)
• KANSAS STATE UNIVERSITY (MANHATTAN, KS)
• KENT STATE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (KENT, OH)
• LEHIGH UNIVERSITY (BETHLEHEM, PA)
• LOUISIANA STATE UNIV & AG & MECH & HEBERT LAWS CTR (BATON ROUGE, LA)
• LOYOLA UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO (CHICAGO, IL)
• MARQUETTE UNIVERSITY (MILWAUKEE, WI)
• MASSACHUSETTS INSTITUTE OF TECHNOLOGY (CAMBRIDGE, MA)
• MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY (EAST LANSING, MI)
• MISSISSIPPI STATE UNIVERSITY (MISSISSIPPI STATE, MS)
• NEW MEXICO STATE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (LAS CRUCES, NM)
• NEW YORK UNIVERSITY (NEW YORK, NY)
• NORTH CAROLINA STATE UNIVERSITY AT RALEIGH (RALEIGH, NC)
• NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY (BOSTON, MA)
• NORTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY (DEKALB, IL)
• NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY (EVANSTON, IL)
• OHIO STATE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (COLUMBUS, OH)
• OHIO UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (ATHENS, OH)
• OKLAHOMA STATE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (STILLWATER, OK)
• OLD DOMINION UNIVERSITY (NORFOLK, VA)
• OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY (CORVALLIS, OR)
• PENNSYLVANIA STATE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (UNIVERSITY PARK, PA)
• PRINCETON UNIVERSITY (PRINCETON, NJ)
• PURDUE UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (WEST LAFAYETTE, IN)
• RENSSELAER POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE (TROY, NY)
• RICE UNIVERSITY (HOUSTON, TX)
• RUTGERS UNIVERSITY-NEW BRUNSWICK (NEW BRUNSWICK, NJ)
• SAINT LOUIS UNIVERSITY-MAIN CAMPUS (ST LOUIS, MO)
• SOUTHERN ILLINOIS UNIVERSITY-CARBONDALE (CARBONDALE, IL)
• SOUTHERN METHODIST UNIVERSITY (DALLAS, TX)
• STANFORD UNIVERSITY (STANFORD, CA)
• SUNY AT ALBANY (ALBANY, NY)
• SUNY AT BINGHAMTON (BINGHAMTON, NY)
• SUNY AT BUFFALO (BUFFALO, NY)
• SUNY AT STONY BROOK (STONY BROOK, NY)
• SYRACUSE UNIVERSITY (SYRACUSE, NY)
• TEACHERS COLLEGE AT COLUMBIA UNIVERSITY (NEW YORK, NY)
• TEMPLE UNIVERSITY (PHILADELPHIA, PA)
• TEXAS A & M UNIVERSITY (COLLEGE STATION, TX)
• TEXAS TECH UNIVERSITY (LUBBOCK, TX)
• THE UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA (TUSCALOOSA, AL)
• THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT ARLINGTON (ARLINGTON, TX)
• THE UNIVERSITY OF TEXAS AT AUSTIN (AUSTIN, TX)
• TUFTS UNIVERSITY (MEDFORD, MA)
• TULANE UNIVERSITY OF LOUISIANA (NEW ORLEANS, LA)
• UNIVERSITY OF ALABAMA AT BIRMINGHAM (BIRMINGHAM, AL)
• UNIVERSITY OF ARIZONA (TUCSON, AZ)
• UNIVERSITY OF ARKANSAS AT FAYETTEVILLE (FAYETTEVILLE, AR)
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY (BERKELEY, CA)
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-DAVIS (DAVIS, CA)
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-IRVINE (IRVINE, CA)
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-LOS ANGELES (LOS ANGELES, CA)
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-RIVERSIDE (RIVERSIDE, CA)
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SAN DIEGO (LA JOLLA, CA)
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SANTA BARBARA (SANTA BARBARA, CA)
• UNIVERSITY OF CALIFORNIA-SANTA CRUZ (SANTA CRUZ, CA)
• UNIVERSITY OF CHICAGO (CHICAGO, IL)
• UNIVERSITY OF CINCINNATI-MAIN CAMPUS (CINCINNATI, OH)
• UNIVERSITY OF COLORADO AT BOULDER (BOULDER, CO)
• UNIVERSITY OF CONNECTICUT (STORRS, CT)
• UNIVERSITY OF DELAWARE (NEWARK, DE)
• UNIVERSITY OF DENVER (DENVER, CO)
• UNIVERSITY OF FLORIDA (GAINESVILLE, FL)
• UNIVERSITY OF GEORGIA (ATHENS, GA)
• UNIVERSITY OF HAWAII AT MANOA (HONOLULU, HI)
• UNIVERSITY OF HOUSTON-UNIVERSITY PARK (HOUSTON, TX)
• UNIVERSITY OF IDAHO (MOSCOW, ID)
• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT CHICAGO (CHICAGO, IL)
• UNIVERSITY OF ILLINOIS AT URBANA (CHAMPAIGN, IL)
• UNIVERSITY OF IOWA (IOWA CITY, IA)
• UNIVERSITY OF KANSAS MAIN CAMPUS (LAWRENCE, KS)
• UNIVERSITY OF KENTUCKY (LEXINGTON, KY)
• UNIVERSITY OF LOUISVILLE (LOUISVILLE, KY)
• UNIVERSITY OF MAINE (ORONO, ME)
• UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND-BALTIMORE COUNTY (BALTIMORE, MD)
• UNIVERSITY OF MARYLAND-COLLEGE PARK (COLLEGE PARK, MD)
• UNIVERSITY OF MASSACHUSETTS-AMHERST (AMHERST, MA)
• UNIVERSITY OF MEMPHIS (MEMPHIS, TN)
• UNIVERSITY OF MIAMI (CORAL GABLES, FL)
• UNIVERSITY OF MICHIGAN-ANN ARBOR (ANN ARBOR, MI)
• UNIVERSITY OF MINNESOTA-TWIN CITIES (MINNEAPOLIS, MN)
• UNIVERSITY OF MISSISSIPPI MAIN CAMPUS (UNIVERSITY, MS)
• UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI-COLUMBIA (COLUMBIA, MO)
• UNIVERSITY OF NEBRASKA AT LINCOLN (LINCOLN, NE)
• UNIVERSITY OF NEVADA-RENO (RENO, NV)
• UNIVERSITY OF NEW HAMPSHIRE-MAIN CAMPUS (DURHAM, NH)
• UNIVERSITY OF NEW MEXICO-MAIN CAMPUS (ALBUQUERQUE, NM)
• UNIVERSITY OF NORTH CAROLINA AT CHAPEL HILL (CHAPEL HILL, NC)
• UNIVERSITY OF NORTH TEXAS (DENTON, TX)
• UNIVERSITY OF NOTRE DAME (NOTRE DAME, IN)
• UNIVERSITY OF OKLAHOMA NORMAN CAMPUS (NORMAN, OK)
• UNIVERSITY OF OREGON (EUGENE, OR)
• UNIVERSITY OF PENNSYLVANIA (PHILADELPHIA, PA)
• UNIVERSITY OF PITTSBURGH-MAIN CAMPUS (PITTSBURGH, PA)
• UNIVERSITY OF RHODE ISLAND (KINGSTON, RI)
• UNIVERSITY OF ROCHESTER (ROCHESTER, NY)
• UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH CAROLINA AT COLUMBIA (COLUMBIA, SC)
• UNIVERSITY OF SOUTH FLORIDA (TAMPA, FL)
• UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (LOS ANGELES, CA)
• UNIVERSITY OF SOUTHERN MISSISSIPPI (HATTIESBURG, MS)
• UNIVERSITY OF TENNESSEE-KNOXVILLE (KNOXVILLE, TN)
• UNIVERSITY OF TOLEDO (TOLEDO, OH)
• UNIVERSITY OF UTAH (SALT LAKE CITY, UT)
• UNIVERSITY OF VERMONT AND STATE AGRICULTURAL COLL (BURLINGTON, VT)
• UNIVERSITY OF VIRGINIA-MAIN CAMPUS (CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA)
• UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON (SEATTLE, WA)
• UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MADISON (MADISON, WI)
• UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN-MILWAUKEE (MILWAUKEE, WI)
• UNIVERSITY OF WYOMING (LARAMIE, WY)
• UTAH STATE UNIVERSITY (LOGAN, UT)
• VANDERBILT UNIVERSITY (NASHVILLE, TN)
• VIRGINIA COMMONWEALTH UNIVERSITY (RICHMOND, VA)
• VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE AND STATE UNIV (BLACKSBURG, VA)
• WASHINGTON STATE UNIVERSITY (PULLMAN, WA)
• WASHINGTON UNIVERSITY (ST LOUIS, MO)
• WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY (DETROIT, MI)
• WEST VIRGINIA UNIVERSITY (MORGANTOWN, WV)
• WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY (KALAMAZOO, MI)
• YALE UNIVERSITY (NEW HAVEN, CT)
• YESHIVA UNIVERSITY (NEW YORK, NY)