UChicago vs. UIC

Should I go to University of Chicago or University of Illinois at Chicago? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UChicago or UIC is the better college for you. The CollegeSimply comparison tool allows side-by-side comparison of 50+ statistics and facts for over 2,500 colleges and universities.

Add a college to compare up to four schools

Frequently compared to these colleges. Click a college to add to the comparison. 

Loyola Northwestern IIT Harvard Cornell Yale Duke Stanford Princeton Northern Illinois ISU Illinois
University of Chicago vs. University of Illinois at Chicago comparison
University of Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago College 3 College 4
University of Chicago University of Illinois at Chicago
Remove Remove +Add +Add

Overview

UChicago UIC
Location Chicago, IL Chicago, IL
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 18,339 33,747
Type Private 4 Year Public 4 Year
National Ranking #7 #234
Religious Affiliation - - - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uchicago.edu uic.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UChicago UIC
Tuition (In State) $61,179 $10,970
Tuition (Out of State) $61,179 $25,578
Room & Board $18,396 $14,400
Avg Net Price $36,991 $10,384
Avg Grant Aid $48,422 $13,813
% Receiving Grant Aid 52% 73%

Admission

UChicago UIC
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 37,522 23,562
Admitted 2,039 18,541
Acceptance Rate 5.4% 78.7%
Enrolled % 84.8% 22.9%
Avg High School GPA 3.95 3.41
Typical High School Grades A- B+
Admissions Standards Elite Difficult
Applicant Competition Extreme
ACT Range 34/35 24/30
SAT Range 1500/1580 1110/1340
Submit Test Scores Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional) Not required for admission, but considered if submitted (Test Optional)
Application Deadline Feb 1, 2025

Academics

UChicago UIC
Student to Faculty Ratio 5:1 18:1
Popular Majors
  • Social Sciences (38%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Mathematics (7%)
  • Physical Sciences (7%)
  • Foreign Languages (6%)
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)

Outcomes

UChicago UIC
Graduation Rate 92% 54%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $98,500 $61,900
Making Student Loan Payments 86% 68%
Median Student Loan Debt $14,500 $18,750
Median Loan Payment $149 $193

Diversity

UChicago UIC
% Men 54% 44%
% Women 46% 56%
Racial Diversity Very High Very High
HBCU No No
% White 45% 34%
% Black 5% 8%
% Hispanic 8% 28%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 3%
% International 11% 2%
% Unknown Race 10% 2%

Students

UChicago UIC
% In-State 12% 88%
% Out-of-State 69% 5%

Campus

UChicago UIC
Campus Housing Yes Yes
Freshman Dorm Required Yes No
Meal Plan Yes Yes
Weekend/Evening Classes No No
Daycare Facility No Yes
Learn More Details Details

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is larger than than UChicago based on total student enrollment (33,747 students vs. 18,339 students)

UChicago vs. UIC Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UChicago or UIC?

  • University of Chicago is 457.7% more expensive to attend than UIC for in-state tuition ($61,179.00 vs. $10,970.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 139.2% higher at UChicago than University of Illinois at Chicago ($61,179.00 vs. $25,578.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than UChicago ($10,384 vs. $36,991)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Chicago are 27.8% lower than costs at University of Chicago ($14,400 vs. $18,396)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at University of Illinois at Chicago than University of Chicago (73% vs. 52%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by University of Chicago students is 250.6% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Chicago ($48,422 vs. $13,813)

UChicago vs. UIC Admissions Difficulty Comparison

Which college is harder to get into, UChicago or UIC? Average SAT and ACT scores plus acceptance rates offer good insight into the difficulty of admission between UIC or UChicago .

  • The average SAT score at University of Chicago (1506) is 414 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming UChicago students have a 10 point higher average ACT score (34) than students at UIC (24)
  • Accepted freshman UChicago students have a 0.54 point higher average high school GPA (3.95) than students at UIC (3.41)
  • UIC has a higher acceptance rate (78.7%) than UChicago (5.4%)

UChicago vs. UIC Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UChicago or UIC? Graduation rate, salary and amount of student loan debt are indicators of a college which offers better outcomes for its graduates. Compare the following outcomes facts between UIC and UChicago.

  • The graduation rate at UChicago is higher than University of Illinois at Chicago (92% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from University of Chicago earn on average $36,600 more per year than UIC graduates after ten years. ($98,500 vs. $61,900)
  • University of Chicago students graduate with a $4,250 lower median federal student loan debt than UIC graduates. ($14,500 vs. $18,750)
  • UChicago graduates are paying $44 less per month on federal student loans than UIC graduates. ($149 vs. $193)
  • More UChicago graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UIC students, three years after graduation. (86% vs. 68%)

Sources: U.S. Department of Education https://nces.ed.gov IPEDS and College Scorecard https://collegescorecard.ed.gov/