10-yr median earnings
$91,885
Federal aid recipients only
Private Nonprofit · Chicago, Illinois
University of Chicago
University of Chicago is a private nonprofit institution in Chicago, Illinois. as a private nonprofit, published Scorecard outcomes cover federal-aid recipients at this campus — endowment and sticker price sit outside those cohort fields.
- $91,885
- 10-yr median earnings
- 4.5%
- Acceptance rate
- $14,860
- Avg net price / yr
- 95.4%
- 150%-time completion
The verdict
University of Chicago pairs top-5% former-student earnings with a highly selective admit.
According to the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard.
- Top 2%
- former-student earnings, US
- 4.5%
- acceptance rate
- 95.4%
- 150%-time completion
- +14%
- earnings, 6→10 yrs
City: Large
Carnegie: R1
Institution data retrieved July 2026; field-of-study data retrieved March 2026.
How to read this University of Chicago profile
Figures above come from IPEDS institution records published through the College Scorecard (retrieved July 2026 for institution fields; March 2026 for field-of-study). Peer groups and cost cohorts follow IPEDS ownership sector, Carnegie class ("Doctoral Universities: Very High Research Activity"), and locale, not an editorial shortlist.
Average net price subtracts grant and scholarship aid from cost of attendance for full-time, first-time undergraduate Title IV recipients. It is a defined cohort average, not a personalized price; income-band fields add context but do not replace the school's current net-price calculator.
Earnings use Treasury-linked records for federally aided former students who were working and not enrolled in the measurement year (completers and noncompleters). IPEDS completion and retention use separate first-time, full-time cohorts, so those denominators are not the earnings cohort. Read cost, completion, and earnings as distinct historical measures, not a causal verdict or individual forecast.
College Value Score
A-
College Value Score
83/100
University of Chicago
A 6-metric composite of earnings, cost, and completion outcomes benchmarked against every reporting US college, not a ranking of teaching quality, campus life, or fit for any individual student. See the full methodology.
Earnings A+
$91,885
10-year median former-student earnings
Net Price C
$14,860
Average annual cost after grants and aid
Completion Rate A+
95.4%
Completion within 150% of normal time
Debt D
$15,000
Median federal debt at graduation
Loan Repayment A+
89.6%
Borrowers repaying loans within 3 years
Retention A+
99.3%
First-year students returning for year two
Each axis is the percentile score shown in the breakdown at left; the shape shows this school's overall profile at a glance.
Avg net price
$14,860
After grants and scholarships
150%-time completion
95.4%
Full-time, first-time cohort
150%-time completion vs portal median (57.1%) 95.4%
Four-year-institution cohort
College ROI Quadrant - University of Chicago vs peers
Each dot is a college plotted by 10-year median earnings (x-axis) vs average net price (y-axis), colored by completion within 150% of normal time. Bottom-right = high earnings/lower price; top-left = lower earnings/higher price.
How University of Chicago ranks nationally
Where this school's former-student earnings fall within the full national distribution of every US college that reports to the College Scorecard, not just its peer set.
University of Chicago: former-student earnings vs. every US college
10-year median earnings, College Scorecard
$91,885 Top 2% higher than 98% of 5,103 US colleges
Each bar is a $20K-wide band; taller bars hold more US colleges. The dashed line + filled bar mark this entry. Hover or tap any bar for its full count, share, and where it sits relative to this entry.
Source U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard · Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals
| Metric | University of Chicago | National rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $91,885 | #92 of 5103 | 98th |
| Average net price | $14,860 | #2069 of 5020 | 59th (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 95.4% | #62 of 4858 | 99th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,569 | #487 of 5462 | 91st |
National ranks count every operating US college reporting each metric to the College Scorecard, separate from the earnings histogram above.
Quick Facts
7,569
Undergraduate enrollment
4.5%
Acceptance rate
1,554
SAT average
95.4%
150%-time completion
$91,885
10-yr median earnings
99.3%
First-year retention
How University of Chicago ranks in Illinois
State rank among 189 reporting Illinois colleges with College Scorecard data, a separate lens from the national distribution above.
| Metric | University of Chicago | State rank | Percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| 10-yr median earnings | $91,885 | #2 of 189 | 99th |
| Average net price | $14,860 | #87 of 179 | 51st (lower is better) |
| 150%-time completion | 95.4% | #3 of 171 | 98th |
| Undergraduate enrollment | 7,569 | #16 of 201 | 92nd |
Highest former-student earnings in Illinois
| # | School | 10-yr earnings | Net price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Chamberlain University-Illinois | $92,405 | $31,837 |
| 2 | University of ChicagoThis school | $91,885 | $14,860 |
| 3 | Northwestern University | $89,363 | $29,167 |
| 4 | St. John's College | $86,331 | - |
| 5 | Lakeview College of Nursing | $84,522 | - |
| 6 | Illinois Institute of Technology | $82,592 | $18,425 |
| 7 | University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign | $81,054 | $14,355 |
| 8 | Saint Anthony College of Nursing | $77,709 | - |
| 9 | Rush University | $75,194 | - |
| 10 | Saint Francis Medical Center College of Nursing | $72,850 | - |
| 11 | Blessing Rieman College of Nursing and Health Sciences | $72,430 | - |
| 12 | Loyola University Chicago | $71,530 | $36,079 |
Admissions
| Admission Rate | 4.5% |
| SAT Average | 1,554 |
| SAT Math (25th-75th) | 770 – 800 |
| SAT Reading (25th-75th) | 740 – 780 |
| ACT Average | 34 |
| ACT (25th-75th) | 34 – 35 |
Costs & Financial Aid
Net price by family income at University of Chicago
Average annual net price after grants; Title IV recipient cohort by income bracket
- $0 – $30k $-1,264
$0 – $30k
$-1,264 net price / yr
- $30k – $48k $914
$30k – $48k
$914 net price / yr
- $48k – $75k $226
$48k – $75k
$226 net price / yr
- $110k+
$110k+
$48,524 net price / yr
What this shows Need-based aid pulls net price down at lower brackets at University of Chicago - compare the bar for your income band, not the overall average alone.
Tuition & Net Price
| In-State Tuition | $70,662 |
| Out-of-State Tuition | $70,662 |
| Average Net Price | $14,860 |
15.3%
Pell Grant Rate
4.7%
Federal Loan Rate
$15,000
Median Debt
$159/mo
Monthly Payment
Net price at University of Chicago swings rather than trends
Across 11 reported years between 2013 and 2023, the average net price here has ranged from $18,967 to $28,517 without settling into a rise or a fall. Comparing only the first and last years would read as -25.1%, but the years in between do not follow that line, so the honest summary is the range rather than a trend. Budget against the upper end, not the average.
Lowest year
$18,967
Highest year
$28,517
Most recent (2023)
$18,967
11 reported years. Nominal dollars, not adjusted for inflation.
2013 · $25,3352023 · $18,967
Over the same years, enrollment went +32.4% (5,697 → 7,540 students).
Source: U.S. Department of Education, College Scorecard, per-year fields (2013–2023). Net price is the average cost after grant and scholarship aid for federally-aided undergraduates.
Student Demographics
Race & ethnicity
Student body at a glance
51.9%
Female
20.2%
First Generation
Outcomes
99.3%
Retention Rate
$80,870
Median Earnings (6yr)
83.1%
Earning Over $25K
89.6%
Loan Repayment, Completers (3yr)
Outcomes & debt snapshot
| Measure | Cohort / horizon | Value |
|---|---|---|
| Completion within 150% of normal time | First-time, full-time | 95.4% |
| First-year retention | First-time, full-time freshmen | 99.3% |
| Median earnings | 6 years after entry | $80,870 |
| Median earnings | 10 years after entry | $91,885 |
| Share earning over $25,000 | Working, not enrolled | 83.1% |
| Loan repayment rate | Completers, 3 years after leaving | 89.6% |
| Median federal student debt | At completion | $15,000 |
| Estimated monthly payment | Standard 10-year plan | $159/mo |
Programs & Earnings
Field-of-study summary by credential
| Credential | Programs | Award count | Avg earnings | Top earnings | Avg debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bachelor's | 23 | 2,098 | $102,051 | $178,068 | $15,879 |
| Master's | 17 | 3,100 | $114,746 | $243,256 | $62,226 |
| Doctoral | 4 | 68 | $77,459 | $83,657 | - |
| First Professional | 2 | 299 | $190,439 | $279,203 | $164,929 |
Top programs at University of Chicago by completer earnings
Median earnings of program completers, College Scorecard field-of-study file
- Law
Law
$279,203 median earnings
- Business Administration, M…
Business Administration, Management and Operations
$243,256 median earnings
- Computer Programming
Computer Programming
$179,964 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$178,068 median earnings
- Mathematics
Mathematics
$172,826 median earnings
- Computer Science
Computer Science
$169,765 median earnings
- Statistics
Statistics
$161,842 median earnings
- Economics
Economics
$159,578 median earnings
What this shows The highest-earning programs at a school are not necessarily its most popular ones - a small specialized program can post strong median earnings without reflecting the outcome most students here actually see.
| Program | Credential | Completers | Median Earnings | Median Debt |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Law | First Professional | 218 | $279,203 | $188,691 |
| Business Administration, Management and Operations | Master's | 12 | $243,256 | $92,529 |
| Computer Programming | Master's | 47 | $179,964 | - |
| Computer Science | Bachelor's | 126 | $178,068 | - |
| Mathematics | Bachelor's | 169 | $172,826 | $12,000 |
| Computer Science | Master's | 187 | $169,765 | $80,205 |
| Statistics | Master's | 276 | $161,842 | $48,437 |
| Economics | Bachelor's | 634 | $159,578 | $13,395 |
| Statistics | Bachelor's | 75 | $130,189 | - |
| Criminal Justice and Corrections | Master's | 29 | $128,337 | $59,772 |
| Biomathematics, Bioinformatics, and Computational Biology | Master's | 30 | $126,821 | $46,851 |
| Public Policy Analysis | Master's | 217 | $112,727 | $78,854 |
| Medicine | First Professional | 81 | $101,675 | $141,166 |
| Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities | Bachelor's | 20 | $96,510 | - |
| Public Policy Analysis | Bachelor's | 114 | $94,237 | $17,492 |
Explore Data-Matched Colleges
Independent Scorecard matches among reporting colleges — not recommendations from the institution or a counselor.
Similar Enrollment and Sector
Other Private Nonprofit institutions closest in reported enrollment, preferring the same Carnegie classification.
Similar Reported Net Price
Other Private Nonprofit institutions with the nearest reported average net price.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the acceptance rate at University of Chicago? ▼
University of Chicago is a private nonprofit institution in Chicago, Illinois. The acceptance rate is 4.5%. The average SAT score is 1,554. Undergraduate enrollment is 7,569 students.
How much do University of Chicago former students earn? ▼
Federally aided former students at University of Chicago who were working and not enrolled had median earnings of $91,885 ten years after entry; the cohort is not limited to graduates. Six years after entry, the corresponding median is $80,870.
How much does University of Chicago cost? ▼
The average net price at University of Chicago is $14,860. In-state tuition is $70,662 and out-of-state tuition is $70,662. Median student debt at graduation is $15,000.
What is the graduation rate at University of Chicago? ▼
University of Chicago has a 95.4% completion rate within 150% of normal time at a four-year institution (typically six years for a bachelor’s program). The first-year retention rate is 99.3%.
Is University of Chicago worth the student debt? ▼
The median student debt at University of Chicago is $15,000, while former students earn a median of $91,885 ten years after enrollment. That debt represents about 16% of those annual earnings. Among borrowers who completed their program, 89.6% are repaying their loans within 3 years. Estimated monthly loan payment is $159.
Sources & methodology
Private-nonprofit profiles emphasize Scorecard cost-after-aid and completion alongside IPEDS Carnegie class. Endowment, gifts, and sticker price are not Scorecard fields on this page.
Figures are the Mar–Jul 2026 federal retrievals. Nonprofit campuses vary widely in aid practice — net price here is the Title-IV-recipient cohort average, not an individual award letter. Read the full methodology for how the data is sourced, computed, and verified.
- College Scorecard, U.S. Department of Education - former-student earnings, cost & completion (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- IPEDS, National Center for Education Statistics - enrollment, admissions, Carnegie class & demographics (nces.ed.gov/ipeds).
- U.S. Treasury / IRS earnings linkage - median earnings 6 & 10 years after enrollment for federal-aid recipients (irs.gov).
- College Scorecard, Field of Study - program-level (credential) earnings & debt (collegescorecard.ed.gov).
- Federal Student Aid (Title IV / NSLDS) - U.S. Department of Education - net price, student debt & aid-recipient repayment outcomes (studentaid.gov).
Where to go next from University of Chicago
- Compare University of Chicago against schools with similar outcomes at a lower average net price.Find similar schools that cost less
- Browse every reporting college in Illinois side by side.Browse Illinois
- See how fields of study differ on former-student earnings and debt.Explore programs
Nonprofit Scorecard medians describe federal-aid recipients who were working and not enrolled — they are not sticker-price ROI and not advice.
Every figure on PlainCollege is rendered directly from the U.S. Department of Education's College Scorecard data, no number is typed in by an editor. Private-nonprofit profiles compile Scorecard net-price and earnings cohorts with IPEDS structure fields — no editor-typed figures. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error on this page. Review the public data changelog. Data current as of Mar–Jul 2026 retrievals.