This is part of an ongoing series on some of the most popular colleges for pre-meds and med students. You are welcome to add your comments and suggestions! -Don Osborne

Are you currently a pre-med attending the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign? Or are you a pre-med living in the Champaign, IL area? Maybe both? If so and I was to guess, you are likely thinking of applying to the College of Medicine at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign. Good choice if you want to keep those expenses down since this is one of the cheapest medical schools if you’re in-state. Here are some stats to help you decide:

• Number of applicants — 8,107
• Number of matriculants — 151
• In-state and out-of-state matriculants — 78.3% / 21.7%
• Average GPA of students — 3.68
• Average MCAT score — 33

Champaign, Illinois has a lot of things going for it. It was voted the fifth best place for work-leisure balance. In this city, the university is the center of attention and so you’re in good hands — from the local paper to the discounts you’ll receive in the area. And best of all, the tuition is extremely cheap compared to other schools, like those in California. However, that’s not to say you don’t need the right preparation. For more on that, click here.