More than 70,000 enrolled at U of I

URBANA -- Enrollment is up 1 percent this fall at the University of Illinois' three campuses in Urbana-Champaign, Chicago and Springfield.

According to preliminary figures released Thursday, almost 70,200 students are enrolled at the university, compared to just under 69,500 a year ago.

Almost 48,900 of the students enrolled this fall are undergrads, including more than 31,100 in Urbana.

The total enrollment at the university's 141-year-old flagship campus tops 41,800. That's up almost 2 percent over 2007 and 16 percent in the last decade.

University officials also noted that 87 percent of the U of I's undergraduate students in Urbana-Champaign are Illinois residents.

The university says it awards about 18,000 degrees each year.