Great LakesUrbanPrivate4-yearSocial & Science

University Of Chicago

A reach for almost every applicant, including very strong ones.

Chicago, IL7,503 students
Acceptance Rate
4%
most selective
Median SAT
1,535
Middle 50%: 1510–1580
Net Price After Aid
$28.0k
Sticker $71.3k
Graduation Rate
95%
6-year, full-time

University Of Chicago is a private institution in Chicago, IL with an acceptance rate of 4% and 7,503 students. The middle 50% of admitted students score 1510–1580 on the SAT and present an average GPA near 3.90. The average net price after financial aid is $27,979 per year.

About University Of Chicago

A private 4-year urban university in Chicago, IL.

University Of Chicago campus
Campus · Chicago

University Of Chicago is a college in Chicago, IL. It enrolls roughly 7,503 students. The most recent acceptance rate is 4%. Admitted students typically score between 1510 and 1580 on the SAT.

Great LakesUrbanPrivate4-yearSocial & Science
Acceptance Rate
4%
Most Selective
Total Enrollment
7,503
Medium
Retention
99%
First-years returning
Graduation Rate
95%
6-year, full-time

Your chances at this school

What admitted students look like here. Sign in to see how your own profile compares.

Acceptance Rate
4%
4 of every 100 applicants admitted
Your Chances
Sign in to see your personalized chances.
Admitted Student GPA
3.90
Average across admitted students

University Of Chicago is a reach school for the average admitted student profile. A reach for almost every applicant, including very strong ones.

What strengthens an application here

  1. SAT scores of 1510 to 1580
    The middle half of admitted students scored in this range. A score in the upper part of it strengthens an application.
  2. A GPA near 3.90 or higher
    This is the average across admitted students.
  3. Depth in one or two activities
    Sustained commitment, a leadership role, or a result in a few activities says more than a long list of memberships.

Your chances estimate is based on your academic profile and activities — it is a guide, not a guarantee of admission. Decisions weigh essays, recommendations, and fit factors that aren't in the data.

Admissions

What it actually takes to get into University Of Chicago. Test scores, GPA, application requirements, and deadlines.

Admitted student profile

Range shown is the middle 50%.

SAT
composite, 1600 scale
1,5101,560
1,535
average
ACT
composite, 36 scale
3435
34
average
GPA
weighted, 4.5 max
3.864.00
3.90
average

This school doesn't require test scores, so these ranges reflect only students who chose to submit — applicants who submit tend to have higher scores. The real admitted range likely runs lower. Don't rule yourself out on scores alone.

Application requirements

  • Personal essay required
  • 2 teacher evals
  • Test-optional
  • $90 application fee
  • Accepts fee waiver

Deadlines (2026-27)

Early Decision
Nov 2, 2026
Early Decision 2
Jan 4, 2027
Early Action
Nov 2, 2026
Regular Decision
Jan 4, 2027

Source: Common App 2026-27 requirements grid (verified Aug 2026). Always confirm on the college's own site.

Cost & financial aid

Published costs can be misleading. Here's what families actually pay at University Of Chicago after grants and scholarships.

Sticker price
—
Tuition $71,325
Average net price after aid
$27,979
34% of students receive financial aid

Net price by family income

Average amount paid out of pocket — tuition, fees, and room & board minus all grant aid.

$0 – $30,000
N/A
$30,001 – $48,000
N/A
$48,001 – $75,000
$770
$75,001 – $110,000
N/A
$110,001 +
$54,800

Net price represents the average cost after grants and scholarships for students receiving federal financial aid.

Pell Grant Recipients
15%
Need-based federal grant
Take Federal Loans
5%
Avg loan $13,368 / year
Avg Grant Aid
—
Per receiving student / year

Academics & majors

Where students at University Of Chicago concentrate, and how the classroom experience scales.

Student : Faculty
5:1
Class-size proxy
Primary Focus
Social & Science
38% of degrees awarded
Retention
99%
First-years returning
A breakdown of the top majors by share of degrees awarded ships once we finish backfilling per-school program data.

Student body

Who attends University Of Chicago. Enrollment, diversity, and where students come from.

Race & ethnicity

  • White31%
  • Asian19%
  • Hispanic17%
  • Black7%
  • Two or more races7%
  • International18%

Gender

  • Female46%
  • Male54%
International
18%
Of total enrollment
Live on Campus
—
Undergraduate residential rate
Total Enrollment
7,503

Outcomes after graduation

What University Of Chicago graduates do next — and what they earn.

Median Earnings
$91.9k
10 years after enrollment
Employed at 2 yrs
—
Working or in grad school
Pursue Grad School
—
Within 5 years
Graduation Rate
95%
6-year, full-time

Is it worth it?

Earnings, debt, and price side by side — context for the cost-vs-payoff question, not a ranking.

Median earnings
$91.9k
10 yrs after entry
Typical debt
$13.4k
median, borrowers only
Avg. net price
$28.0k/yr
after aid
  • These numbers reflect who enrolls, not the value the school adds. A college's earnings can look high simply because it admits wealthier, higher-scoring students — not because of what happens there.
  • Earnings vary far more by major and career path than by school. A school-wide median blends engineers and artists into one number that may match no real student.
  • Federal earnings and debt figures cover only students who received federal aid, so they leave out full-pay students and can skew the picture.
  • Net price is an average across aided students and debt is the median for borrowers only — many students borrow nothing. Your actual cost depends on your own aid package.

What this means

$92k is well above the national bachelor's-graduate median at the 10-year mark, and a 95% graduation rate puts University Of Chicago in the top tier nationally.

Similar schools

If University Of Chicago is on your list, students often also consider these.

Related searches

  • University Of Chicago acceptance rate
  • University Of Chicago SAT scores
  • University Of Chicago tuition cost
  • University Of Chicago deadlines
  • How to get into University Of Chicago
  • Best highly selective colleges
  • Best schools in Illinois
Sign up to see your oddsDetails