UIC vs. Macalester College

Should I go to University of Illinois at Chicago or Macalester College? Compare 50+ facts and figures about the colleges to help you determine if UIC or Macalester College 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.

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University of Illinois at Chicago vs. Macalester College comparison
University of Illinois at Chicago Macalester College College 3 College 4
University of Illinois at Chicago Macalester College
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Overview

UIC Macalester College
Location Chicago, IL Saint Paul, MN
Setting Large City Large City
Enrollment 33,522 2,142
Type Public 4 Year Private 4 Year
National Ranking #198 #104
Religious Affiliation - Presbyterian Church (USA) - -
Status Non-profit Non-profit
Website uic.edu macalester.edu
Team Colors                    

Costs

UIC Macalester College
Tuition (In State) $11,178 $64,678
Tuition (Out of State) $26,200 $64,678
Room & Board $14,600 $15,477
Avg Net Price $11,499 $38,571
Avg Grant Aid $15,421 $40,329
% Receiving Grant Aid 72% 88%

Admission

UIC Macalester College
Admission Chances Calculate Calculate
Applied 25,420 8,099
Admitted 19,955 2,285
Acceptance Rate 78.5% 28.2%
Enrolled % 23.3% 22.7%
Avg High School GPA 3.41 3.81
Typical High School Grades B+ A-
Admissions Standards Very High Exceptional
Applicant Competition High
ACT Range 25/32 30/33
SAT Range 1120/1340 1350/1510
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, 2026 Jan 15, 2026

Academics

UIC Macalester College
Student to Faculty Ratio 17:1 10:1
Popular Majors
  • Business (16%)
  • Psychology (13%)
  • Biology (11%)
  • Social Sciences (10%)
  • Engineering (9%)
  • Social Sciences (27%)
  • Foreign Languages (10%)
  • General Studies (8%)
  • Mathematics (6%)
  • Biology (6%)

Outcomes

UIC Macalester College
Graduation Rate 54% 87%
Median Earnings (After 10 years) $61,900 $54,100
Making Student Loan Payments 68% 89%
Median Student Loan Debt $18,750 $22,670
Median Loan Payment $193 $234

Diversity

UIC Macalester College
% Men 14% 0%
% Women 20% 0%
Racial Diversity Very High Medium
HBCU No No
% White 34% 66%
% Black 8% 2%
% Hispanic 28% 6%
% Native American 0% 0%
% Pacific Islander 0% 0%
% Two or More Races 3% 5%
% International 2% 14%
% Unknown Race 2% 0%

Students

UIC Macalester College
% In-State 89% 18%
% Out-of-State 4% 69%

Campus

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

Comparable Facts

  • University of Illinois at Chicago is larger than than Macalester College based on total student enrollment (33,522 students vs. 2,142 students)

UIC vs. Macalester College Cost Comparison

Which college is more expensive, UIC or Macalester College?

  • Macalester College is 478.6% more expensive to attend than UIC for in-state tuition ($64,678.00 vs. $11,178.00)
  • Out of state tuition is 146.9% higher at Macalester College than University of Illinois at Chicago ($64,678.00 vs. $26,200.00)
  • The typical actual cost that students pay to attend (average net price) is less at University of Illinois at Chicago than Macalester College ($11,499 vs. $38,571)
  • Living costs (room and board or off-campus housing budget) at University of Illinois at Chicago are 6% lower than costs at Macalester College ($14,600 vs. $15,477)
  • More students receive financial grant aid at Macalester College than University of Illinois at Chicago (88% vs. 72%)
  • The average total grant financial aid received by Macalester College students is 161.5% larger than aid received University of Illinois at Chicago ($40,329 vs. $15,421)

UIC vs. Macalester College Admissions Difficulty Comparison

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

  • The average SAT score at Macalester College (1358) is 266 points higher than at UIC (1092)
  • Incoming Macalester College students have a 7 point higher average ACT score (31) than students at UIC (24)
  • Accepted freshman Macalester College students have a 0.4 point higher average high school GPA (3.81) than students at UIC (3.41)
  • UIC has a higher acceptance rate (78.5%) than Macalester College (28.2%)

UIC vs. Macalester College Graduation Outcomes Comparison

Which is better, UIC or Macalester College? 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 Macalester College and UIC.

  • The graduation rate at Macalester College is higher than University of Illinois at Chicago (87% vs. 54%)
  • Graduates from University of Illinois at Chicago earn on average $7,800 more per year than Macalester College graduates after ten years. ($61,900 vs. $54,100)
  • University of Illinois at Chicago students graduate with a $3,920 lower median federal student loan debt than Macalester College graduates. ($18,750 vs. $22,670)
  • UIC graduates are paying $41 less per month on federal student loans than Macalester College graduates. ($193 vs. $234)
  • More Macalester College graduates are actively paying back their federal student loan debt than former UIC students, three years after graduation. (89% vs. 68%)

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