More selective than 100% of Illinois colleges we cover.
College Scorecard, Fall 2024 entering class
Average after grants for all families receiving federal aid. Pick your income above.
Sticker price $90,360. College Scorecard.
Higher than 100% of Illinois colleges we cover and 99% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median 54%.
Within 6 years · College Scorecard
Higher than 100% of Illinois colleges we cover and 97% of colleges nationwide. U.S. median $53,263.
Median, 10 years after starting · College Scorecard
University of Chicago acceptance rate & admissions
Of 38,631 applicants, University of Chicago admitted 1,849 and 1,626 enrolled (IPEDS, Fall 2023 entering class). The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1510–1580 on the SAT or 34–35 on the ACT.
IPEDS Admissions, Fall 2023 entering class
Test scores: College Scorecard, Fall 2024. Other figures: College Scorecard; IPEDS
University of Chicago tuition, cost & net price
What families actually pay per year, by income
Average net price after grants and scholarships for students who receive federal aid. Tap your income band.
College Scorecard, latest reported year (federal aid recipients)
Sticker price (before aid)
IPEDS 2023-24 cost items; total from College Scorecard
College Scorecard; Urban Institute Education Data Portal
What University of Chicago costs to finish, and how fast it pays back
Graduates of University of Chicago took 4.1 years on average to finish, so the yearly price adds up to the total below. Payback compares former students' earnings with what high school graduates earn in Illinois. The figures follow your residency and income choices above.
| Family income | Net price / yr | Cost to finish | Years to pay back |
|---|---|---|---|
| $0–30k | $0 | $0 | under 1 year |
| $30–48k | $914 | $3,757 | under 1 year |
| $48–75k | $226 | $929 | under 1 year |
| $75–110k | $12,602 | $51,794 | under 1 year |
| $110k+ | $48,524 | $199,434 | 3.6 years |
Cost to finish = yearly price × 4.1 years, the average time graduates took (86% finished in 4 years; students who entered fall 2017, IPEDS). Years to pay back = cost to finish ÷ the earnings gain: median earnings of former students 10 years after starting ($91,885) minus $35,797 for high school graduates ages 25-34 in IL (Census ACS 2020-2024), a gain of $56,088 a year. Before taxes, loan interest and earnings given up while in school. Method
College Scorecard (net price, earnings); IPEDS Graduation Rates (time to finish); U.S. Census Bureau ACS (high school earnings). Calculated by EducationGuide.
University of Chicago majors, earnings & careers
University of Chicago offers 52 bachelor's majors across 9 areas. Earnings below are for this school's graduates of each major, four years after finishing.
- Humanities & Languages · 18
- Science & Math · 11
- Social Sciences & Public Service · 11
- Arts & Design · 5
- Engineering · 2
- Technology & Computing · 2
- Business & Finance · 1
- Communications & Media · 1
- Health & Medicine · 1
Highest-earning majors at University of Chicago
| Major | Earnings, 4 yrs | Median debt |
|---|---|---|
| Computer Science | $178,068 | — |
| Mathematics | $172,826 | $12,000 |
| Economics | $159,578 | $13,197 |
| Statistics | $130,189 | — |
| Liberal Arts / General Studies | $96,510 | — |
| Public Policy Analysis | $94,237 | $17,492 |
| Political Science | $87,869 | $18,500 |
| English | $78,169 | — |
Quick list of all 52 majors
- Anthropology—
- Area Studies—
- Astronomy and Astrophysics—
- Biology$59,794
- Broadcasting / Digital Media—
- Chemical Engineering—
- Chemistry—
- Classics—
- Cognitive Science—
- Computer Programming—
- Computer Science$178,068
- East Asian Languages (Chinese / Japanese / Korean)—
- Economics$159,578
- Engineering Science—
- English$78,169
- Environmental Science / Conservation—
- Ethnic / Gender Studies—
- Film and Photography—
- Geography—
- Geology / Earth Science—
- German—
- History$64,330
- International Relations—
- Liberal Arts / General Studies$96,510
- Linguistics—
- Mathematics$172,826
- Medieval and Renaissance Studies—
- Middle / Near Eastern and Semitic Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Music—
- Neuroscience—
- Philosophy$71,709
- Physics—
- Political Science$87,869
- Pre-Med / Pre-Health—
- Psychology—
- Psychology (Clinical / Counseling)$59,898
- Psychology (Research)$73,483
- Public Policy Analysis$94,237
- Religious Studies—
- Slavic, Baltic and Albanian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Social Sciences, Other—
- Social Work—
- Sociology—
- South Asian Languages, Literatures, and Linguistics—
- Spanish / French / Romance Languages—
- Statistics$130,189
- Studio Art—
- Systems Science and Theory—
- Theatre—
- Theology / Ministry—
- Visual and Performing Arts, Other—
- Writing—
— means too few graduates to report earnings.
College Scorecard field of study, latest release
All majors by area with earnings 1 and 4 years out, and debt →Computer Science → Software developer
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 10.2% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Biology → Biological technician
Median annual wage for all workers in this job, not only new graduates. U.S. jobs projected to grow 7.4% from 2025 to 2035.
BLS Occupational Employment and Wage Statistics, May 2025; Employment Projections 2025-35
Living in Chicago
Overall prices in the Chicago-Naperville-Elgin, IL-IN area.
BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024
2 bedrooms $2,011. Housing costs 12% above the U.S. average.
HUD Fair Market Rent, FY2027
January and July average highs. 44 inches of rain a year, 39 inches of snow.
NOAA Climate Normals 1991-2020
Highest: tornado (very high); river flooding (very high); heat wave (very high); winter weather (very high).
FEMA National Risk Index, Cook County
Campus & students
IPEDS fall enrollment; Carnegie Classification; EADA via Urban Institute
Cook County at a glance
U.S. Census Bureau, ACS 5-year 2024
Compare University of Chicago with similar schools
Similar private colleges in Illinois by selectivity, graduation rate and size. Tap “Why?” to see where the price difference comes from.
| School | Acceptance | You'd pay | Graduation | Earnings, 10 yrs | Price gap |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Chicago | 4% | $14,860 | 96% | $91,885 | This school |
| Northwestern University | 8% | $29,167 | 95% | $89,363 | |
| Illinois Wesleyan University | 39% | $28,199 | 75% | $70,871 | |
| Illinois Institute of Technology | 55% | $18,425 | 75% | $82,592 | |
| Principia College | 44% | — | 74% | — |
College Scorecard, latest reported year. “You'd pay” follows your residency and income choices above.
Why the price is different
University of Chicago would cost you $14,307 less per year than Northwestern University, on average.
- Lower sticker price at University of Chicago, mostly from more University of Chicago students living at home, which lowers its average (−$1,358).
- University of Chicago gives aided families $13,417 more in grants, on average.
| Per year, Illinois resident | University of Chicago | Northwestern University | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Tuition & fees | $70,662 | $68,322 | +$2,340 |
| Books & supplies | $1,800 | $1,686 | +$114 |
| Housing & meals | $19,221 | $20,334 | −$1,113 |
| Personal & travel | $2,400 | $3,273 | −$873 |
| Living-at-home adjustment | −$3,723 | −$2,365 | −$1,358 |
| Sticker price | $90,360 | $91,250 | −$890 |
| Average grants | −$75,500 | −$62,083 | −$13,417 |
| You pay | $14,860 | $29,167 | −$14,307 |
“+” means University of Chicago costs more; “−” means it costs less. Grants are the sticker price minus the net price. Cost items: IPEDS, on-campus budget. Sticker and net price: College Scorecard, latest reported year; the adjustment reconciles the two. Net price is an average for first-time, full-time students receiving federal aid, not a quote.
Common questions about University of Chicago
What is the University of Chicago acceptance rate?
University of Chicago accepts 4% of applicants (College Scorecard). In the latest IPEDS admissions year, 1,849 of 38,631 applicants were admitted. The middle half of enrolled first-year students scored 1510–1580 on the SAT or 34–35 on the ACT.
How much does University of Chicago cost per year?
The sticker price (cost of attendance) is $90,360 a year. After grants and scholarships, students receiving federal aid pay $14,860 a year on average; families earning $0–30k pay $0 and families earning $110k+ pay $48,524.
How much do University of Chicago graduates earn?
Former University of Chicago students earn a median $91,885 ten years after starting college, compared with a U.S. median of $53,263 across the colleges we cover.
What is the University of Chicago graduation rate?
96% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 99% return for their second year.
How long does a University of Chicago degree take to pay off?
For a family earning $48–75k, finishing at University of Chicago costs about $929 after grants ($226 a year for 4.1 years, the average time graduates took). Former students earn a median $91,885 ten years after starting, $56,088 more than high school graduates in Illinois ($35,797), so the cost is repaid in under 1 year of that gain, before taxes and interest (EducationGuide calculation).
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Sources on this page: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard and IPEDS; U.S. Census Bureau (ACS); Bureau of Labor Statistics (OEWS, Employment Projections); Bureau of Economic Analysis; HUD; NOAA; FEMA; Urban Institute Education Data Portal (ODC-By); Wikidata. “Colleges we cover” means colleges awarding bachelor's degrees to at least 100 undergraduates. Averages are not quotes; confirm costs with the school. How we score
Data: download this school's data (JSON) · Markdown · all datasets
Cite this: “University of Chicago: cost, admissions and outcomes,” EducationGuide.com, https://educationguide.com/colleges/university-of-chicago (College Scorecard and IPEDS data).