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The University of Chicago Law School

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Last updated: August 14, 2026

The University of Chicago Law School

The University of Chicago Law School is a highly selective private law school with a 174 median LSAT, 3.97 median GPA, and a 9.74% acceptance rate in its latest ABA-reported entering class. Its recent graduates have strong large-law-firm, federal-clerkship, and bar-passage outcomes, but the school's high cost makes scholarship size an important part of the value calculation.

Data sources: ABA Standard 509 Report (2025); ABA Bar Passage Report; University of Chicago Law School employment data; University of Chicago Law School admissions and financial-aid pages.

UChicago Law at a Glance

Metric Latest verified figure
Type Private
Founded 1902
U.S. News rank #2 (2026, tied)
Acceptance rate 9.74% (2025 entering class)
LSAT 171 / 174 / 176 (25th / median / 75th; 2025)
GPA 3.87 / 3.97 / 4.00 (25th / median / 75th; 2025)
1L class size 203 (2025)
Full-time tuition $86,856 (2026–27)
Estimated first-year COA $122,034 (2026–27)
First-time bar passage 97.42% (2024 graduates)
Employment 10 months 98.1% overall / 96.8% bar-required or anticipated (2025 graduates)
Median private salary $225,000 (2025 graduates)

Introduction

Medium chicagoreflection.jpg



The University of Chicago Law School is one of the most selective law schools in the United States. In the 2025 ABA Standard 509 report, UChicago reported 6,581 completed applications, 641 offers of admission, and a 9.74% acceptance rate. The entering class had a 174 median LSAT and 3.97 median undergraduate GPA. Admissions data.

The financial picture is more complicated. For 2026–27, UChicago lists $86,856 in JD tuition and a first-year estimated cost of attendance of $122,034. The school does not charge a separate Illinois resident tuition rate. Cost and scholarship data.

The employment numbers are a major reason applicants consider UChicago despite the price. For the Class of 2025, the school reported 98.1% employment 10 months after graduation, with 96.8% of graduates in jobs requiring or anticipating bar admission. The same class included 49 federal clerkships and a $225,000 median private-sector salary.

The main applicant-level question is therefore not simply whether UChicago produces strong outcomes. It does. The more useful question is whether those outcomes justify UChicago's cost compared with the scholarship offers available from other highly ranked schools.

Rankings and Reputation

UChicago Law is ranked #2, tied in the 2026 U.S. News law-school rankings. The school was ranked #3 in the previous edition.

UChicago's ranking is supported by several measurable outcomes. The Class of 2025 included 49 federal clerkships and 143 law-firm placements. The school's 2024 graduates recorded a 97.42% first-time bar-passage rate.

Within Illinois, UChicago occupies the highest position in the current national rankings. Its closest Chicago peer is Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law, while the University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign and other Illinois law schools sit substantially lower in the national rankings.

2026 specialty rankings: [UNVERIFIED — needs manual check against current U.S. News specialty tables before publication.]

Admissions: What It Takes to Get In

The latest complete ABA entering-class data are for the 2025 entering class. The Fall 2026 application cycle will produce a new ABA 509 report after enrollment.

Admissions metric 2025 2024 2020
Applications 6,581 5,366 4,933*
Offers 641 683 918*
Acceptance rate 9.74% 12.73% 18.61%*
LSAT median 174 173 170*
GPA median 3.97 3.94 3.90*
Enrollees from applicant pool 191 191 192*

*Historical cross-check figure. The latest ABA 509 report should be used for current admissions analysis.

The 2025 entering class had an LSAT middle 50% of 171–176 and a GPA middle 50% of 3.87–4.00. The 174 LSAT median and 3.97 GPA median put UChicago firmly in the highest range of law-school admissions statistics.

An applicant at the 75th percentile has a 176 LSAT and 4.00 GPA. An applicant around the median has a 174 LSAT and 3.97 GPA. Applicants at or below the 25th percentile should not assume admission is impossible, but they are competing against a class whose academic profile is unusually concentrated near the top of the applicant pool.

Does UChicago accept the GRE?

Yes. The 2025 ABA report shows 4 GRE enrollees in the entering class. Because the number is small, applicants should not interpret UChicago's GRE policy as evidence that the GRE is a major admissions channel.

Application Deadlines

The UChicago Law School application for the Class of 2030 opens September 1, 2026.

The current admissions calendar lists:

  • December 1, 2026 — Early Decision Program and Chicago Law Scholars Program deadline.
  • March 1, 2027 — Regular Decision deadline.

UChicago evaluates completed Regular Decision applications on a rolling basis and reads applications in chronological order by completion date. Applicants therefore have a practical reason to submit well before the March 1 deadline.

Application Fee

The JD application fee is $90.

UChicago also accepts fee-waiver requests beginning September 1 and continuing through the March 1 application deadline. LSAC fee waivers are automatically applied when applicable.

JD Format

UChicago offers a full-time JD program. It does not offer a part-time or evening JD.

The JD requires 105 credit hours and operates on a quarter system.

Cost, Scholarships, and Debt

UChicago's 2026–27 cost of attendance is substantially higher than the figures in older TLS profiles. The school lists JD tuition of $86,856 for 2026–27.

2026–27 JD Cost Amount
Tuition $86,856
Graduate Student Services Fee $1,560
Lifetime Transcript Fee $84
Housing and Food $19,593
Books, Course Materials, Supplies and Equipment $1,788
Personal and Miscellaneous Expenses $8,955
Transportation $2,670
Federal Student Loan Fees $528
First-Year Total COA $122,034

UChicago uses the same tuition rate regardless of Illinois residency. There is therefore no lower in-state tuition rate for Illinois residents.

The latest ABA scholarship data show that 78% of students received grants in 2024–25. The median grant was $15,000, with a $10,000 25th percentile and $30,000 75th percentile.

The 2025 ABA report also showed:

  • 64% received grants covering less than half of tuition.
  • 5% received grants covering between half and full tuition.
  • 0% were reported in the full-tuition category.
  • 9% received grants exceeding full tuition.
  • UChicago did not report conditional scholarships that could be reduced or eliminated based on academic performance, other than requirements relating to good academic standing.

Average graduating debt: [UNVERIFIED — needs manual check.]

The cost-per-outcome calculation is favorable for graduates entering large law firms or federal clerkships, but that does not make sticker price irrelevant. Applicants should compare the actual UChicago financial-aid offer against competing offers from peer schools.

Employment Outcomes and Bar Passage

The Class of 2025 had 216 graduates.

Employment measure Class of 2025
Employed 10 months after graduation 212 / 216 (98.1%)
Bar admission required or anticipated 209 / 216 (96.8%)
JD-advantage 3
Law-school funded 5
Unemployed and seeking 2

UChicago reported 143 law-firm placements for the Class of 2025, representing 67.5% of employed graduates.

The class also included 49 federal clerkships and 2 state/local/territorial clerkships.

Salary 25th Median 75th
Private sector $225,000 $225,000 $225,000
Public sector $75,804 $81,191 $84,145
Overall $84,590 $225,000 $225,000

The Class of 2025 was geographically mobile. Illinois accounted for 28.8% of graduates, New York 26.9%, and California 10.8%.

Bar Passage

UChicago's first-time bar-passage rate for 2024 graduates was 97.42%, with 189 of 194 first-time takers passing.

The available Illinois comparison was approximately 96.7%, placing UChicago approximately 0.7 percentage points above the state comparison.

The school's ultimate bar-passage rate was approximately 99.5% in the available two-year measure.

The distinction between overall employment and legal employment is important here. UChicago's 98.1% employment rate is accompanied by a 96.8% bar-required-or-anticipated rate, meaning the overwhelming majority of graduates are entering legal positions rather than merely counting any post-graduation employment.

Academics and Programs

The JD requires 105 credits and is completed through a quarter-system academic calendar.

UChicago's experiential offerings include named clinics and programs such as:

  • Abrams Environmental Law Clinic
  • Civil Rights and Police Accountability Clinic
  • Criminal and Juvenile Justice Clinic
  • Employment Law Clinic
  • Federal Criminal Justice Clinic
  • Global Human Rights Clinic
  • Immigrants' Rights Clinic
  • Innovation Clinic
  • Exoneration Project Clinic
  • Jenner & Block Supreme Court and Appellate Clinic

Student publications include:

  • University of Chicago Law Review
  • University of Chicago Legal Forum
  • Chicago Journal of International Law
  • University of Chicago Business Law Review

The school also offers the Hinton Moot Court Competition.

UChicago has expanded its work involving artificial intelligence through its AI Lab and an AI-focused curricular strategy.

The Law School also offers graduate and joint-degree programs, including LLM, MLS, JSD, and JD/MBA programs.

Student Life and Location

Uchicagolaw.jpeg

UChicago Law is located at 1111 East 60th Street in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood.

The location gives students access to the Chicago legal market while placing the school outside the downtown Loop. Chicago's courts, firms, government institutions, and nonprofit legal organizations provide a large potential market for internships and post-graduate employment.

UChicago's employment data also show that students are not restricted to Chicago. New York and California were the second- and third-largest states for Class of 2025 employment.

Student activities include journals, moot court, clinics, student organizations, and the school's student-produced Law School Musical.

How UChicago Law Compares

UChicago makes the strongest case for applicants who want a national legal market, federal clerkships, large-law-firm placement, and Chicago access without giving up mobility to New York or California.

Applicants should look more closely at competing schools when they have a materially stronger scholarship offer elsewhere. At this level of the rankings, the financial difference between schools can matter more than a small ranking difference.

The TLS Verdict

UChicago Law is a school where the outcomes support taking the sticker price seriously rather than dismissing it. The Class of 2025 produced a 98.1% employment rate, 96.8% bar-required-or-anticipated employment, 49 federal clerkships, and a $225,000 private-sector salary median.

The school is particularly compelling for applicants targeting large law firms, federal clerkships, legal academia, or national legal markets. Its employment distribution also shows that students can use the degree outside Illinois: New York and California were major destinations for the Class of 2025.

The financial question is more difficult. The latest ABA scholarship data show that 78% of students received grants, but the median grant was $15,000 and 64% of students received grants covering less than half of tuition. The 2025 report showed no students in the full-tuition category.

TLS verdict: UChicago is worth serious consideration at a price you can afford. It is much harder to justify automatically at full sticker when a peer school offers a materially larger scholarship.

The school's employment record is strong enough to make the investment calculation reasonable. It is not strong enough to make the calculation unnecessary.

What Students Say

Frequently mentioned positives

TLS forum discussions about the University of Chicago Law School have repeatedly highlighted several themes:

  • Small, close-knit student body: Discussions frequently describe UChicago's relatively small class size as contributing to a close student community. Some forum participants have noted that students tend to live and socialize in a concentrated area around Hyde Park, which can make it easier to build relationships with classmates.
  • Strong faculty and academic environment: Forum discussions frequently praise UChicago's faculty and describe the academic environment as intellectually demanding. The school's emphasis on discussion, theoretical analysis, and engagement with legal scholarship is often presented as a strength for students who enjoy academically rigorous coursework.
  • Law-and-economics tradition: UChicago's longstanding association with law and economics is a recurring topic among applicants and students, particularly those interested in legal scholarship, economics, empirical research, or academic careers.
  • Clerkship and career opportunities: TLS discussions repeatedly point to UChicago's strong federal clerkship placement and broad access to major legal markets. Forum participants also frequently describe BigLaw opportunities as strong, including opportunities outside Chicago.
  • Geographic flexibility: Discussions often characterize UChicago as providing strong national portability. Applicants comparing UChicago with other highly ranked schools frequently discuss opportunities in Chicago, New York, Washington, D.C., California, and other major legal markets.
  • Collaborative atmosphere: Despite the school's demanding academic reputation, some students and applicants describe the student body as approachable and supportive. Discussions comparing UChicago with peer schools have cited the relatively small class as a factor that can encourage closer relationships and reduce some forms of competitive behavior.

These are recurring forum observations rather than measured school-wide outcomes and should not be interpreted as representative survey results.

Frequently mentioned concerns

Common concerns raised in TLS discussions include:

  • Academic intensity: UChicago is frequently described as academically rigorous and intellectually demanding. Applicants who prefer a more relaxed or practice-oriented law-school experience sometimes express concern about the workload and academic pressure.
  • Grading system: The school's distinctive numerical grading system is a recurring topic in TLS discussions. Some applicants view it as an advantage, while others worry that numerical grades can make academic performance more visible or create additional pressure, particularly for students concerned about highly selective clerkships.
  • Hyde Park location: A recurring concern is that the Law School is located in Hyde Park rather than downtown Chicago. Applicants who prioritize immediate access to downtown offices, nightlife, restaurants, or other Chicago neighborhoods sometimes view the location as a disadvantage. Other discussions note that the concentrated Hyde Park environment can also make student social life more community-oriented.
  • Cost and debt: Forum discussions frequently compare UChicago's cost of attendance with scholarship offers from peer schools. Students considering public-interest careers in particular have historically raised concerns about borrowing at or near full cost and the interaction between debt, loan repayment, and career choices.
  • Public-interest financing: Historical TLS discussions have raised questions about LRAP, income-driven repayment, and Public Service Loan Forgiveness for graduates pursuing public-interest work. Because these discussions are older, their descriptions of loan programs and UChicago's policies should not be treated as current.
  • Small-community environment: The same close-knit environment that some students value can feel limiting to applicants who prefer a larger law-school population or a more dispersed urban social environment.

Forum comments vary substantially by year, individual experience, career goals, and the applicant's alternative schools. Older comments should therefore not be treated as a current student consensus or as a substitute for official UChicago information.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the University of Chicago Law School acceptance rate?

The University of Chicago Law School's 2025 acceptance rate was 9.74%. The school reported 6,581 completed applications and 641 offers of admission in the 2025 ABA Standard 509 report.

What LSAT score do I need for UChicago Law?

The latest entering class had a 174 median LSAT, with a 171–176 middle-50% range. A 174 places an applicant at the median, while 176 is the 75th percentile.

What GPA do I need for UChicago Law?

The latest entering class had a 3.97 median GPA, with a 3.87–4.00 middle-50% range. The 75th percentile GPA was 4.00.

How much is UChicago Law tuition?

UChicago Law's 2026–27 JD tuition is $86,856. The school's first-year estimated total cost of attendance is $122,034, including tuition, fees, housing, food, books, transportation, and other estimated expenses.

Is UChicago Law worth the cost?

UChicago can be worth the cost for applicants targeting large law firms, federal clerkships, or national legal markets. The Class of 2025 had a 98.1% employment rate and a $225,000 private-sector salary median.

What is UChicago Law's bar passage rate?

UChicago's 97.42% first-time bar-passage rate applied to 2024 graduates. Of 194 first-time takers, 189 passed.

What is UChicago Law's employment rate?

UChicago reported a 98.1% employment rate for the Class of 2025 10 months after graduation. Of 216 graduates, 212 were employed.

What is UChicago Law's application deadline?

The current cycle's Regular Decision deadline is March 1, 2027. The Early Decision and Chicago Law Scholars deadline is December 1, 2026.

Does UChicago Law accept the GRE?

UChicago accepts the GRE. The 2025 entering class included 4 GRE enrollees, making GRE applicants a small portion of the entering class.

Does UChicago Law have a part-time or evening JD?

UChicago has no part-time or evening JD program. Its JD is a full-time program requiring 105 credits.

How much scholarship money does UChicago Law give?

The latest ABA data show 78% of students received grants in 2024–25. The median grant was $15,000, while the 25th and 75th percentiles were $10,000 and $30,000.

Contact and Key Links

The University of Chicago Law School
1111 East 60th Street
Chicago, IL 60637

Phone: 773-702-9494
JD Admissions: admissions@law.uchicago.edu
Admissions phone: 773-702-9484

Sources

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