Home Colleges Illinois University of Chicago
Private 4-Year Highly Selective Chicago, IL NCAA Division III with football

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

4.6%
Acceptance Rate
$94,971/yr
Est. Cost of Attendancesum of published cost components
$14,860/yr
Avg Price After Aid
95.4%
6-yr Grad Rate
7,569
Undergrads

About University of Chicago

University of Chicago is a private nonprofit university with an acceptance rate of 4.6% and undergraduate enrollment of 7,569. The student-to-faculty ratio is 5:1, with a 6-year graduation rate of 95.4%. Cost of attendance is $94,971, and the median earnings 10 years after enrollment are $91,885.

Type
Private 4-Year
Undergrads
7,569
Avg Faculty Salary
$179,034
Athletics
NCAA Division III with football
Endowment
$9.1B
Pell Students
15.3%
First-Gen
20.2%
What University of Chicago Is Known For
Majors far more concentrated here than at colleges nationally
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 52 graduates · 2.7% of degrees here vs 0.01% nationally 356×
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 548 graduates · 28.5% of degrees here vs 0.76% nationally 37×
Public Policy Analysis 66 graduates · 3.4% of degrees here vs 0.1% nationally 36×
Mathematics 134 graduates · 7% of degrees here vs 0.73% nationally 10×
Computer Science 178 graduates · 9.2% of degrees here vs 2.26% nationally
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023, against the national share at the same degree level
Admissions
4.6%
Acceptance rate · Highly Selective
38,631
Applicants
Can I Get In? →
Cost & Aid
$14,860 avg net
Average net price after aid
$-1,264
Under $30K income
$9.1B
Endowment
Can I Afford It? →
Outcomes
$80,870 median
Median earnings 6 years after entering
95.4%
6-yr Grad Rate
$15,000
Median Debt
Is It Worth It? →

University of Chicago Acceptance Rate & Admissions

Acceptance Rate
4.6%
38,631 applicants
Student:Faculty Ratio
5:1
Undergrad instruction

University of Chicago is an extremely selective private nonprofit with a 4.6% acceptance rate and 7,569 undergraduates. The institution maintains a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio and reports a 95.4% six-year graduation rate.

How Selective Is That, Really?
Each dot is one of 100 applicants · Source: school's Common Data Set, else College Scorecard
1 in 22 applicants is admitted · 38,631 applied
10-Year Acceptance Rate Trend
10-year trend · Source: College Scorecard
10 years

SAT & ACT Score Ranges

Where Admitted Students Score
Middle 50% of enrolled students, on the full SAT scale · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS)
Fall 2023
1510–1580
40080012001600
GPA Distribution — Enrolled Students
8-band breakdown · Source: Common Data Set
4.0
61.57%
3.75–3.99
29.75%
3.50–3.74
6.61%
3.25–3.49
1.24%
3.00–3.24
0.83%
2.50–2.99
2.00–2.49
Below 2.0

Admissions Requirements

Admission Factor Weights
Official weights from submitted institutional data · Source: Common Data Set, section C7
Rigor of coursework Very Important
Class rank Considered
Academic GPA Considered
Standardized test scores Considered
Application essay Very Important
Recommendations Very Important
Class Rank Profile
25% of students submitted rank · Source: Common Data Set
Top 10th of class
96%
Top quarter
99%
Top half
100%
Who Applies, and Who Gets In
First-year applicants, admits and enrollees by gender
Applied Admitted Rate Enrolled
Men 17,373 994 5.7% 885
Women 21,249 855 4% 741
SOURCEIPEDS Admissions — Fall 2023 admissions cycle
How These Admissions Numbers Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

University of Chicago admits 4.5% of applicants — a typical similar college admits 74%.

Acceptance rate
This school
4.5%
Similar colleges (1,009)
73.8%
IL (69)
77.3%
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (49)
77.5%
National (1,934)
78.1%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

University of Chicago Tuition, Fees & Cost of Attendance

Avg Net Price
$14,860
Average for all students receiving federal aid, 2023-24
Median Federal Debt
$15,000
Federal Loan Rate
4.7%
Students borrowing federal loans

University of Chicago has a $94,971 cost of attendance with 15.3% of students receiving Pell grants. The university's substantial $9.1 billion endowment supports financial aid for its selective student body.

Cost of Attendance Breakdown
Estimated annual costs · on-campus, 2023-24 · Source: College Scorecard
$94,971
Tuition & Fees
$70,662
74%
Room & Board
$20,109
21%
Books & Supplies
$1,800
2%
Other Expenses
$2,400
3%

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income

What You'd Actually Pay by Family Income
Average net price after all grants and scholarships · Source: College Scorecard (IPEDS net price)
Under $30,000
$0aid exceeds cost
$30,001 – $48,000
$914
$48,001 – $75,000
$226
$75,001 – $110,000
$12,602
Over $110,000
$48,524

* One or more income brackets show an unusually low net price, reflecting need-based aid that can reduce cost to near zero for families in that range.

Full Cost of Attendance
Source: College Scorecard
2023-24

Student Loan Debt

How Many Students Borrow
Undergraduates taking on any loan
Take out a loan
50%
Federal loans
5%

Graduates who borrowed carry a median monthly repayment of about $159.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How This Price Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

After aid, University of Chicago costs $14,860 a year — about 34% less than a typical similar college.

Cost of attendance
This school
$90,360
Similar colleges (1,094)
$49,718
IL (116)
$26,978
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (77)
$28,414
National (3,197)
$25,367
Students taking a loan
This school
49.6%
Similar colleges (998)
91.8%
IL (161)
86.7%
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (118)
86.2%
National (4,096)
86.4%
Median debt at graduation
This school
$15,000
Similar colleges (1,032)
$24,977
IL (181)
$10,410
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (133)
$11,000
National (4,347)
$13,097
Average net price
This school
$14,860
Similar colleges (1,105)
$22,585
IL (184)
$14,898
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (137)
$17,028
National (5,106)
$17,160

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

University of Chicago Graduation Rate & Student Outcomes

6-yr Grad Rate
95.4%
Median Earnings 6yr
$80,870
6 years after entering

University of Chicago has a 95.4% six-year graduation rate. Graduates earn a median of $80,870 six years after enrollment and $91,885 ten years after enrollment.

Graduate Earnings After College

Median Graduate Earnings Over Time
6 and 10 years after entering · includes all students, not just graduates · Source: College Scorecard
Median Earnings by Gender · 6 Years After Entering
Students working 6 years after entering · Source: College Scorecard
$95,884
Men
$67,707
Women
Graduation Rate: Pell vs. Non-Pell
6-year graduation rate by grant status · Source: College Scorecard
91.7%
Pell recipients
96.3%
Non-Pell students

Top Majors & Programs

Top Majors by Graduates
Most recent year available · bachelor's degrees only · Source: IPEDS Completions 2023
MajorGraduates
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics548
Computer Science178
Mathematics, General134
Biology/Biological Sciences, General126
Political Science and Government, General75
Public Policy Analysis, General66
Neuroscience63
Experimental Psychology62
Physics, General54
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering52
Graduation Rate by Race & Ethnicity
Completing within six years
Asian
96.9%
White
96.5%
Black
95.6%
Hispanic
92.5%
SOURCECollege Scorecard — groups with too few students to report are omitted
Earnings Further Out
The longer horizon

Median earnings eight years after entering University of Chicago are $87,164, and 83% of former students earn more than $25,000 six years after entry.

SOURCECollege Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education
How These Outcomes Compare
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

Six years after entry, former University of Chicago students earn $80,870 — 78% more than at a typical similar college.

Median earnings, 10 years
This school
$91,885
Similar colleges (1,077)
$54,064
IL (183)
$40,151
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (129)
$41,539
National (4,696)
$40,782
Median earnings, 6 years
This school
$80,870
Similar colleges (1,077)
$45,468
IL (191)
$34,215
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (140)
$33,807
National (4,847)
$35,433
Graduation rate
This school
95.4%
Similar colleges (1,074)
58.1%
IL (61)
58.8%
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (46)
58.8%
National (2,168)
52.3%
Freshman retention
This school
99.3%
Similar colleges (1,117)
76.6%
IL (60)
75.6%
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (44)
75.6%
National (1,841)
75.7%

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

University of Chicago Campus, Athletics & Faculty

University of Chicago is a private nonprofit university with 7,569 undergraduates and a 5:1 student-to-faculty ratio. As an NCAA Division III institution with football, it combines rigorous academics with competitive athletics.

Student Demographics
Undergraduate enrollment · Source: College Scorecard / IPEDS
Race & Ethnicity
White
29.5%
Asian
19.3%
Hispanic
16.9%
Black
6.9%
Other Indicators
First-generation
20.2%
Pell grant recipients
15.3%
Women
45.8%
University of Chicago Athletics
Total Revenue
$3.9M
Total Expense
$3.9M
Athletes
726
412 men · 314 women
Head Coach Salaries
Men's vs Women's programs · Source: Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act
Men's sports
$90,636
Women's sports
$89,226

Average head coach salary by program gender.

Academic Resources
1,763
Full-time faculty
$179,034
Avg faculty salary
34,889
FT staff
$9.1B
Endowment
Faculty Salary by Gender
All instructional ranks combined · Source: IPEDS Human Resources
Men (avg)
$199,963
Women (avg)
$144,561
Overall avg
$179,034
Who Is on Campus
Beyond the undergraduate headcount
Undergraduates
7,569
Graduate students
10,968

Graduate and professional students outnumber undergraduates here, which shapes class sizes, housing and campus life in ways an undergraduate figure alone doesn't show.

Varsity Athletes
Play a varsity sport
7.3%

547 of 7,540 undergraduates, counting each athlete once regardless of how many sports they play.

SOURCEIPEDS enrollment; Equity in Athletics Disclosure Act filings
Online & Distance Learning
How much of the teaching happens remotely
Undergrads fully online
0%
Undergrads taking any
0%
Grad students fully online
0.9%

0 of 7,643 undergraduates study entirely at a distance, against 99 of 10,696 graduate students.

SOURCEIPEDS Fall Enrollment, distance education status

University of Chicago is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and operates its own medical school.

How This Campus Compares
Against the colleges this school should be measured against
Median

University of Chicago spends $60,393 per student on research — about 10× a typical similar college.

Pell grant share
This school
15.3%
Similar colleges (1,171)
32.8%
IL (200)
38.9%
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (147)
43.4%
National (5,367)
40.1%
Research spending per student
This school
$60,393
Similar colleges (1,164)
$6,264
IL (106)
$6,282
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (64)
$5,612
National (2,823)
$5,605
Students per faculty member
This school
5:1
Similar colleges (1,191)
12:1
IL (199)
15:1
Chicago-Naperville, IL-IN-WI (148)
15:1
National (5,427)
15:1

Each bar is the median of that group, with the number of schools in brackets. “Similar colleges” means the same control and the same predominant degree awarded. Groups of fewer than 15 schools are not shown.

Every Major at University of Chicago
49 fields of study, bachelor's degree level, grouped by subject area
1,926 graduates
Social Sciences 724 grads · 7 majors
Econometrics and Quantitative Economics 548
Political Science and Government, General 75
Social Sciences, Other 27
Anthropology, General 26
Sociology, General 24
International Relations and Affairs 23
Geography 1
Biological and Biomedical Sciences 189 grads · 2 majors
Biology/Biological Sciences, General 126
Neuroscience 63
Computer and Information Sciences 178 grads · 1 major
Computer Science 178
Mathematics and Statistics 161 grads · 2 majors
Mathematics, General 134
Statistics, General 27
Physical Sciences 135 grads · 5 majors
Physics, General 54
Chemistry, Other 26
Chemistry, General 25
Astronomy 24
Geophysics and Seismology 6
Psychology 74 grads · 2 majors
Experimental Psychology 62
Counseling Psychology 12
Public Administration and Social Services 71 grads · 2 majors
Public Policy Analysis, General 66
International Policy Analysis 5
English Language and Literature 60 grads · 2 majors
English Language and Literature, General 41
Creative Writing 19
Engineering 52 grads · 1 major
Chemical and Biomolecular Engineering 52
History 52 grads · 2 majors
History, General 46
History and Philosophy of Science and... 6
Visual and Performing Arts 41 grads · 5 majors
Art History, Criticism and Conservation 20
Film/Cinema/Media Studies 10
Visual and Performing Arts, Other 6
Directing and Theatrical Production 4
Music, General 1
Multidisciplinary Studies 38 grads · 3 majors
Systems Science and Theory 29
Cognitive Science, General 7
Medieval and Renaissance Studies 2
Foreign Languages and Linguistics 38 grads · 7 majors
Linguistics 12
Classics and Classical Languages,... 8
Romance Languages, Literatures, and... 7
Middle/Near Eastern and Semitic... 6
East Asian Languages, Literatures, and... 3
Comparative Literature 1
Slavic Languages, Literatures, and... 1
Natural Resources and Conservation 35 grads · 1 major
Environmental Studies 35
Philosophy and Religious Studies 29 grads · 1 major
Philosophy 29
Communication and Journalism 16 grads · 1 major
Digital Communication and Media/Multimedia 16
Liberal Arts and General Studies 16 grads · 1 major
Liberal Arts and Sciences/Liberal Studies 16
Area, Ethnic and Gender Studies 10 grads · 3 majors
African Studies 4
Ethnic Studies 3
Ethnic, Cultural Minority, Gender, and... 3
Theology and Religious Vocations 7 grads · 1 major
Theology/Theological Studies 7
SOURCEIPEDS Completions 2023 — first majors only, so a student with a double major is counted once

University of Chicago Location & Campus Safety

University of Chicago is in Chicago, IL, in what IPEDS classifies as a large city setting. The campus sits about 5.6 miles from the center of Chicago. There are 30 other colleges within 25 miles, and Chicago, IL is 5.6 miles away.

University of Chicago Other colleges within 30 miles
Large city
Campus Setting
5.6 mi
To City Center
30
Colleges Within 25 mi
2,707,648
Chicago Population
Living in Chicago
Cost of living and getting around, for the whole city — not the campus
ACS 2023
$1,380
Median Rent / mo
$75,134
Median Household Income
29%
Rent as % of Income
How People Commute
Drive alone
46%
Walk
5.7%
Public transit
19.3%

Cook County scores 13.6 out of 20 on the EPA National Walkability Index — above average walkable. The index is a county-wide average of block groups, so it describes the surrounding area rather than the campus itself.

Undergraduates make up about 4.9% of Chicago's residents.

SOURCEU.S. Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2023 5-year estimates; EPA National Walkability Index
Colleges Near University of Chicago
Within 30 miles, at least 500 students, by straight-line distance
DePaul University 14,090 students 6.4 mi
SOURCEIPEDS campus coordinates, University of Chicago to each campus

Campus Safety at University of Chicago

Every college that receives federal financial aid must publish its crime statistics each year under the Clery Act. These are the figures University of Chicago reported for 2024.

55
On-Campus Offenses
5
In Residence Halls
3
Per 1,000 Students
14
Domestic, Dating & Stalking

Read these numbers carefully. A Clery figure counts reports, not incidents. A university with active reporting channels, a large campus police force and a teaching hospital will record more offenses than one where the same events go unreported — so a higher count is not evidence of a more dangerous campus, and a low count is not evidence of a safe one. In 2024, 833 campuses with more than 1,000 students reported no offenses at all. Use these figures to ask a college questions, not to rank one against another.

Reported On-Campus Offenses by Year
Criminal offenses reported on campus, including residence halls · Source: U.S. Dept. of Education Clery Act disclosures
2022
24
2023
35
2024
55
What Was Reported in 2024
On-campus criminal offenses by category
Motor vehicle theft
44
Burglary
6
Sexual offenses
4
Aggravated assault
1

Separately, University of Chicago reported 11 arrests and 19 disciplinary referrals for weapons, drug and liquor law violations on campus. Referrals for alcohol violations are usually the largest category at residential colleges and reflect how a school handles student conduct internally.

SOURCEU.S. Department of Education, Campus Safety and Security — Clery Act disclosures, 2024

Frequently Asked Questions

Common questions about University of Chicago admissions, costs, and outcomes.