University of Chicago
Tuition, net price, acceptance rate, SAT/ACT scores, graduation rate, and graduate salary · Chicago, Illinois
Net price / year
$14,860
after grants & scholarships
lower than 86% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Acceptance rate
4%
Graduation rate
95%
within 150% of normal time
higher than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
Median earnings
$127,757
4 years after graduating
higher than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges
University of Chicago at a glance
- What is the tuition at University of Chicago?
- Undergraduate tuition and fees are $70,662 for the 2024-25 academic year.
- What is the cost of attendance at University of Chicago?
- The average cost of attendance is $90,360 a year before financial aid (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses.
- What is the net price at University of Chicago?
- The average net price is $14,860 a year after grants and scholarships, for students receiving federal aid (2023-24).
- What is the acceptance rate at University of Chicago?
- About 4% of applicants were admitted (fall 2024).
- What SAT and ACT scores are typical at University of Chicago?
- The middle 50% of admitted students who submitted scores had an SAT total of about 1510–1580 and an ACT composite of 34–35 (fall 2024). Test policy reported: Considered if submitted, but not required.
- What is the graduation rate at University of Chicago?
- 95% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time, or 6 years (entering classes through fall 2018).
- How much do graduates of University of Chicago earn?
- The median graduate earns $127,757 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled (2024 dollars).
Key takeaways
- Graduates earn a median $127,757 four years after finishing, more than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- 95% of students graduate on time or within 150% of normal time, higher than 99% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
- Only 4% of applicants are admitted, which makes this a highly selective school.
- The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 0.6 years of work (not counting income forgone while studying).
- At $14,860 a year, the average net price is lower than 86% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
Tuition and cost of attendance at University of Chicago
Average net price
$14,860 per year
Cost of attendance minus average grants and scholarships, for first-time full-time students receiving federal aid.
Estimate your own price with the University of Chicago net price calculator ↗
Estimated total net cost
$59,440
Net price × 4 years, at today's prices and assuming on-time completion. Your actual cost depends on your aid.
Net price by family income
Average yearly net price for students receiving federal aid.
- $0–30k —
- $30–48k $914
- $48–75k $226
- $75–110k $12,602
- $110k+ $48,524
Where the sticker price goes· Cost of attendance $90,360
- Tuition & fees$70,662
- Books & supplies$1,800
- Room & board$20,109
- Other expenses$2,400
- Tuition & fees (in-state)
- $70,662
- Tuition & fees (out-of-state)
- $70,662
University of Chicago acceptance rate and SAT/ACT scores
Acceptance rate
Share of applicants admitted.
Test policy: Considered if submitted, but not required
Graduation rate and salary after graduating from University of Chicago
Graduation rate
95%
First-time, full-time students finishing within 150% of normal time.
Retention rate
99%
Full-time first-years who return the next fall.
Typical monthly payment
$159
On a standard 10-year federal plan.
Years of earnings premium to cover cost
0.6 years
Net cost ÷ (graduate earnings − high-school graduate earnings). Excludes income forgone while studying and assumes today's earnings. A rough guide, not a prediction.
Earnings vs debt
Of graduates working and not enrolled, in 2024 dollars.
- Debt-to-earnings
- 0.1×Median debt divided by median earnings 4 years after graduating.
- Share of pay going to loans
- 1.5%
- 3-year loan default rate
- 0%
Outcomes by student group
The Scorecard reports some outcomes separately for groups of students. A group is left out when it is too small to report. These are school-level figures and say nothing about any individual student.
Completion within 150% of normal time, by group
Share of students who entered in 2018 and completed within 150% of normal time (six years at a four-year college, three at a two-year college).
All students, same entering cohort: 96%
Group rates and the all-student rate come from the same 2018 entering cohort, so they can be compared directly. Groups at small colleges can rest on very few students. Data period: Entering cohort 2018 (IPEDS).
Earnings ten years after entry
All students who entered this college, whether or not they graduated, in 2022 dollars, ten years after entry.
Typical range: middle half of students
25th percentile $60,576 · median $91,885 · 75th percentile $158,433
Median by family income
Median by sex
This is not the same as the graduates' earnings shown above. It covers everyone who entered, including students who left without a degree, ten years after entry and in 2022 dollars. The graduates' figure covers only completers, four years after finishing, in 2024 dollars. Do not compare the two directly.
Data period: Students who entered in academic years 2009-10 and 2010-11 (pooled), earnings measured in 2020 and 2021, 2022 dollars (Treasury).
Median federal student debt, by group
Median federal loan debt of students who borrowed, when they left school, by group.
By Pell Grant status
By first-generation status
By family income
By gender
Data period: Loans in fiscal years 2020 and 2021 (pooled, NSLDS).
Programs and majors at University of Chicago ranked by earnings
| Program | Earnings, 4 yrs after | Earnings over time | Compared with the U.S. median for this field | Median debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 32 | $178,068 | 1 yr$117,5784 yrs$178,0685 yrs$227,147 | U.S. median $107,009 U.S. middle half $74.8K–$152K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 44 | $172,826 | 1 yr$100,4214 yrs$172,8265 yrs$146,679 | U.S. median $69,562 U.S. middle half $49.1K–$97.4K · Above the U.S. median | $12,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 155 | $159,578 | 1 yr$92,0754 yrs$159,5785 yrs$157,181 | U.S. median $82,686 U.S. middle half $58.2K–$116.3K · Above the U.S. median | $13,395 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 19 Small sample | $130,189 | 1 yr$82,6814 yrs$130,1895 yrs$147,558 | U.S. median $92,425 U.S. middle half $64.6K–$125.5K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Bachelor's · Graduates: 64 | $96,510 | — | U.S. median $53,072 U.S. middle half $35.8K–$73.3K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Public Policy Analysis Bachelor's · Graduates: 83 | $94,237 | 1 yr$60,0574 yrs$94,2375 yrs$99,986 | U.S. median $73,721 U.S. middle half $53.3K–$104.1K · Above the U.S. median | $17,492 |
| Political Science and Government Bachelor's · Graduates: 51 | $87,869 | 1 yr$56,0224 yrs$87,8695 yrs$88,531 | U.S. median $63,293 U.S. middle half $44.8K–$85.4K · Above the U.S. median | $18,500 |
| English Language and Literature, General Bachelor's · Graduates: 37 | $78,169 | 1 yr$44,3974 yrs$78,1695 yrs$54,643 | U.S. median $48,590 U.S. middle half $33.7K–$63.8K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Research and Experimental Psychology Bachelor's · Graduates: 35 | $73,483 | 1 yr$31,9864 yrs$73,4835 yrs$84,957 | U.S. median $55,695 U.S. middle half $38.1K–$76.5K · Above the U.S. median | $17,500 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 24 Small sample | $71,709 | 4 yrs$71,7095 yrs$72,246 | U.S. median $54,455 U.S. middle half $34.9K–$78K · Above the U.S. median | $22,641 |
Show all 13 programs
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 23 Small sample | $64,330 | 1 yr$46,6164 yrs$64,3305 yrs$64,082 | U.S. median $50,680 U.S. middle half $36.3K–$66.7K · Above the U.S. median | — |
| Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology Bachelor's · Graduates: 24 Small sample | $59,898 | 1 yr$39,8084 yrs$59,898 | U.S. median $50,523 U.S. middle half $35.2K–$66.9K · Above the U.S. median | $12,000 |
| Bachelor's · Graduates: 32 | $59,794 | 1 yr$35,2754 yrs$59,7945 yrs$68,610 | U.S. median $57,214 U.S. middle half $38.9K–$79.2K · Above the U.S. median | $13,500 |
Earnings are for graduates working and not enrolled, 4 years after completing, in 2024 dollars.
The U.S. median and middle half (25th to 75th percentile) are for graduates of the same field and credential level at all colleges, 4 years after completing.
The 1-year, 4-year and 5-year figures come from different graduating cohorts and dollar years (1-year: AY2018-19 and AY2019-20 graduates, 2022 dollars; 4-year: AY2017-18 and AY2018-19 graduates, 2024 dollars; 5-year: AY2014-15 and AY2015-16 graduates, 2022 dollars), so read them as three separate measures, not a single career path.
Small samples are noisy: the Scorecard adds privacy noise to program figures and some rows are based on only a handful of graduates, so rows marked “small sample” can move a lot from year to year.
What students study
The largest fields among the degrees and certificates this college awarded, grouped by two-digit CIP code (the federal Classification of Instructional Programs). Fields under 1% are left out.
Share of degrees and certificates awarded, by field
A large share means many awards, not necessarily many students or higher earnings. Data period: Awards in academic year 2024-25 (IPEDS).
Who attends
A snapshot of the undergraduate student body as this college reported it to the federal government. Shares are shown as published; they can differ slightly from 100% because of rounding.
Race and ethnicity
- White 29.5%
- Black or African American 6.9%
- Hispanic or Latino 16.9%
- Asian 19.3%
- American Indian or Alaska Native 0%
- Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0%
- Two or more races 7%
- U.S. nonresident 17.6%
- Race and ethnicity unknown 2.7%
Federal reporting categories. Students who are not U.S. citizens or permanent residents are counted as nonresident, and students who did not report are counted as unknown. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Gender
- Men 54.2%
- Women 45.8%
Federal reporting uses two categories. Data period: Fall 2024 (IPEDS).
Students aged 25 or older
1%
of undergraduates
Many adult students work or have families while enrolled. Data period: Fall 2023 (IPEDS).
Students and campus
- Undergraduate enrollment
- 7,569
- Part-time students
- 0%
- Receive Pell Grants
- 15%
- Receive federal loans
- 5%
- Students per faculty member
- 5 : 1
- Setting
- City
Similar colleges
Schools of a similar type, price, size and outcomes.
-
Illinois Institute of Technology
Chicago, IL
Net price $18,425Earnings $91,312
-
Northwestern University
Evanston, IL
Net price $29,167Earnings $109,275
-
Bradley University
Peoria, IL
Net price $22,719Earnings $74,150
-
University of St Francis
Joliet, IL
Net price $13,006Earnings $75,229
-
Vanderbilt University
Nashville, TN
Net price $15,846Earnings $101,204
-
Stanford University
Stanford, CA
Net price $13,807Earnings $136,959
Where it ranks
This college appears in the top 50 of these TuitionScope rankings.
Guides worth reading
Plain-language explainers that help you read the numbers on this page.
More in Illinois
In Illinois
National rankings
Compare majors
Frequently asked questions
How much is tuition at University of Chicago?
For the 2024-25 academic year, University of Chicago reported undergraduate tuition and fees of $70,662. This is the published price before grants and scholarships; what you pay depends on your aid.
What is the cost of attendance and net price at University of Chicago?
The average cost of attendance at University of Chicago is $90,360 a year (2023-24), counting tuition, books, housing and other living expenses. After grants and scholarships, the average net price is $14,860 a year. That is lower than 86% of private nonprofit 4-year colleges.
How much financial aid do students at University of Chicago get?
15% of undergraduates receive Pell Grants. 5% receive federal loans.
What is the acceptance rate at University of Chicago?
University of Chicago admitted about 4% of applicants in fall 2024. That makes admission highly selective.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for University of Chicago?
Among admitted students who submitted scores, the middle 50% had an SAT total of about 1510–1580 and an ACT composite of 34–35 (fall 2024). That is a guide, not a cutoff. Reported test policy: Considered if submitted, but not required.
What are the graduation rate and retention rate at University of Chicago?
95% of first-time, full-time students at University of Chicago finish within 150% of normal time. 99% of full-time first-years return the next fall.
How much do University of Chicago graduates earn after graduation?
The median graduate earns $127,757 four years after finishing, among graduates working and not enrolled in further study (2024 dollars). One year after finishing, the median is $77,119.
Is University of Chicago worth it?
There is no single answer: it depends on your major, your aid and whether you finish. For University of Chicago, the data shows this. The earnings premium over a typical high-school graduate would cover the estimated net cost in about 0.6 years of work. Graduates who borrowed have a median debt of $15,000, about 0.1 times their median earnings four years after finishing. 95% of first-time, full-time students finish within 150% of normal time. These are averages, not predictions, and they do not count income forgone while studying.
Sources and data periods
All figures come from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard (June 2026 release). Periods differ by measure:
- Average net price: AcadYr 2023-24, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Acceptance rate: Fall 2024, reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25
- Graduation rate: Fall 2018 or AcadYr 2018-19 cohort (differs by institutional calendar), reported in IPEDS DCY2024-25 pooled with previous years (# of total pooled years found in POOLYRS)
- Median earnings: Treasury AY2017-18, AY2018-19 pooled cohort measured in CY2022, CY2023, inflation adjusted to 2024 dollars
- Median graduate debt: NSLDS FY2020, FY2021 pooled cohorts
Some figures are blank because the school did not report them or the group was too small to publish. How we calculate things