UChicago: What the Numbers Actually Say
One statistic on this page beats every Ivy: when UChicago admits a student, 88% enrol — a yield higher than Harvard’s, and the highest of any school profiled here. The university famous for essay prompts about elephants and umbrellas has quietly built the most committed applicant pool in elite admissions, and the rest of its numbers — the 5:1 ratio, the smallest classes profiled here — explain why the people who choose it do not waver.
UChicago admitted 4.5% of 43,612 applicants, and 88.3% of them enrolled — the highest yield of any school profiled here. The average net price after aid is $14,860, and 77.1% of course sections have fewer than 20 students.
At a glance
| University of Chicago | US median | |
|---|---|---|
| Location | Chicago, IL | |
| Undergraduates | 7,519 | |
| Acceptance rate | 4.5% | |
| Applicants / admits | 43,612 / 1,955 | |
| Middle 50% SAT | 1510–1580 | |
| Middle 50% ACT | 34–35 | |
| Student–faculty ratio | 5:1 | |
| Average net price after aid | $14,860 | $20,150 |
| Median earnings, 10 yrs out | $91,885 | $53,038 |
| Median debt at graduation | $15,000 | $23,000 |
US medians are across every college reporting the figure to the College Scorecard — roughly 1,700 for net price and 1,800 for earnings.
Admissions: the most committed pool in elite admissions
UChicago drew 43,612 applications and admitted 1,955 — 4.5%. The yield is the number to sit with: 88.3% of admitted students enrolled, above every Ivy profiled here. Its filing lists a non-binding Early Action round; check the school directly for the full set of current application plans.
| Application factor | University of Chicago says | How common that is |
|---|---|---|
| Academic GPA | Very important | 91% of schools say the same |
| Application Essay | Very important | 34% of schools say the same |
| Character/personal qualities | Very important | 27% of schools say the same |
| Extracurricular activities | Very important | only 19% of schools say the same |
| Recommendation(s) | Very important | 32% of schools say the same |
| Rigor of secondary school record | Very important | 87% of schools say the same |
| Standardized test scores | Very important | 26% of schools say the same |
| Talent/ability | Very important | only 15% of schools say the same |
| Class rank | Important | 46% of schools say the same |
| Alumni/ae relation | Considered | 40% of schools say the same |
| First generation | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Interview | Considered | 42% of schools say the same |
| Level of applicant's interest | Considered | 46% of schools say the same |
| Volunteer work | Considered | 66% of schools say the same |
| Work experience | Considered | 69% of schools say the same |
| Geographical residence | Not considered | 62% of schools say the same |
| Religious affiliation/commitment | Not considered | 89% of schools say the same |
| State residency | Not considered | 57% of schools say the same |
The school’s own ratings from its Common Data Set filing, set against the 357 filings in our dataset. Bold rows are ratings fewer than a quarter of schools share — the places this school’s process is genuinely unusual. Declared weight is not submission policy; requirements change year to year and should be checked directly.
The filing itself hews to the elite consensus — essays, rigour and GPA at the top, talent and extracurriculars rated above the national norm. Demonstrated interest is merely considered — on paper the pool simply arrives pre-committed, and the yield says how completely.
The admitted middle 50% runs 740–780 on SAT reading and 770–800 on maths, with 49% of enrolled first-years having submitted an SAT score — a share that describes the class, not the current submission rules.
Cost
The sticker is about $96,597; the average net price after grants is $14,860 — lower than most of the schools it competes with. UChicago meets 100% of demonstrated need, and its average first-year grant of $78,383 trails only Princeton’s among the schools profiled here.
| Family income | University of Chicago | US median |
|---|---|---|
| $30,000 – $48,000 | $914 / year | $15,431 |
| $48,000 – $75,000 | $226 / year | $17,510 |
| $75,000 – $110,000 | $12,602 / year | $21,308 |
| Over $110,000 | $48,524 / year | $25,893 |
Average net price actually paid by aided US students at each income level, from the College Scorecard. Sticker price is what almost nobody at these income levels pays.
Only 11% of students borrow — tied for the lowest share profiled here — and the median borrower leaves owing $15,000.
The classroom: the smallest classes profiled here
77.1% of course sections enrol fewer than 20 students — the highest small-class share of any school profiled here — on a 5:1 student–faculty ratio across 7,519 undergraduates. 100% of first-years live on campus, and 18.4% arrive from outside the US.
Outcomes
Median earnings, 10 years after entry · US median $53,038
Earnings of students from the lowest-income third · US median $42,600
Average net price after aid · US median $20,150
Median debt at graduation · US median $23,000
Bar length is the share of US colleges this school beats on each measure; the tick marks the national median. Price and debt are inverted, so a longer bar is always the better outcome. Source: College Scorecard.
99% of first-years return and 95.9% graduate within six years. Median earnings reach $91,885 ten years after enrolling, and students from the lowest-income third of families are earning a mean $110,000 a decade after they started — a six-figure mobility outcome.
Frequently asked questions
What is UChicago’s acceptance rate?
4.5%. UChicago received 43,612 applications and admitted 1,955 students — and 88.3% of those admitted enrolled, the highest yield of any school profiled on this site.
How much does UChicago actually cost?
An average $14,860 a year after grants, against a sticker of about $96,597. A family earning $75,000–$110,000 typically pays $12,602, UChicago meets 100% of demonstrated need, and only 11% of students borrow at all.
Why is UChicago’s yield so high?
Its own numbers suggest self-selection: the famously distinctive essay prompts draw applicants who have already decided. 88.3% of admitted students enrol — more than at any Ivy profiled here.
How small are UChicago’s classes?
The smallest of any school profiled here: 77.1% of course sections have fewer than 20 students, on a 5:1 student–faculty ratio — also the lowest ratio profiled here after MIT’s.
What SAT scores do you need for UChicago?
The admitted middle 50% scored 740–780 on reading and 770–800 on maths. A quarter of admitted students scored below those ranges.
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