University of Illinois Press

The University of Illinois Press (UIP) is an American university press and is part of the University of Illinois System. Founded in 1918, the press publishes some 120 new books each year, thirty-three scholarly journals, and several electronic projects. Strengths include ethnic and multicultural studies, Lincoln and Illinois history, and the large and diverse series Music in American Life.

UIP was initially founded to oversee the editing, production, and distribution of publications generated within the university. The press has since grown to publish works that contribute to scholarly research, cultural life, and regional and intellectual history. It issues roughly 80 new books and more than 40 scholarly journals each year and maintains a backlist of more than 2,500 titles distributed internationally through publishing partners and sales representatives in North America, Europe, Latin America, and Asia.

Michelle Sybert has served as director since July 2025. In recent years, the press has expanded its commitment to open access publishing, launching pilot programs for books and journals, participating in a library consortium that serves the majority of Illinois higher education institutions, and establishing initiatives such as the Darlene Clark Hine Black History Fund endowment to support scholarship in underrepresented fields.