Chicago, IL · private · 7,569 undergraduates
University of Chicago acceptance rate, SAT range and net price
UChicago admitted 4.48% of applicants for fall 2025, and families under $125,000 pay nothing for tuition, housing or meals.
Net price per year at UChicago
$12,602
Reach · admit rate 4.48%
| Admit rate, Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 4.48% (1 in 22) |
| Middle 50% of enrolled students (SAT) | 1,500 to 1,560 |
| Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.) | 1% |
| This site’s label | Reach |
| Sticker price 2026-27 | $103,821 |
| Paid by families with $75,001-$110,000 (2023-24) | $12,602 |
| Share of the sticker price | 12% |
Net price: average paid after grants by students on federal aid in that income band (2023-24), not a quote. The label is a fixed rule of this site (admit rate under 15% is a reach for everyone), not a prediction. Your exact price: UChicago net price calculator. How this is calculated.
Admissions: University of Chicago Common Data Set 2025-2026, C1 (19,929 men + 24,578 women + 1,026 unknown sex applied; 1,169 + 870 admitted; 1,042 + 744 enrolled) · net price: College Scorecard, 2023-24 · figures checked · Built by Radif Partners · Method and data
- Admit rate, newest cycle
- 4.48%
- SAT middle 50%
- 1,500 to 1,560
- Sticker price 2026-27
- $103,821
- Net price, income $48k to $75k
- $226
The University of Chicago admitted 2,039 of 45,533 first-year applicants for the class that entered in fall 2025, an acceptance rate of 4.48%, and 1,786 enrolled, a yield close to nine in ten, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026. Testing is optional under a "no harm" rule, yet 57% of the class sent an SAT, with a middle 50% of 1,500 to 1,560. The 2026-27 on-campus cost of attendance is $103,821, of which tuition is $75,960. The aid promise is among the broadest on this site: free tuition for families under $250,000 and for every first-generation student, and nothing to pay for tuition, fees, housing and meals under $125,000. In 2023-24, before the higher thresholds, aided families between $48,001 and $75,000 paid an average of $226.
A yield that shapes the admit rate
Chicago's rate is low partly because almost everyone it admits comes. With 1,786 enrolled out of 2,039 admitted, the university can fill its class with very few offers, and much of that class arrives through binding Early Decision. It runs four rounds: Early Decision I and a non-binding, non-restrictive Early Action on November 2, Early Decision II and regular decision on January 4. Applicants can switch from Early Action to Early Decision I until December 1, and deferred or regular applicants can move to Early Decision II until mid-January, an unusual flexibility that many use once they are sure.
"No harm" testing
UChicago is test-optional and adds a rule few universities state: a submitted SAT or ACT is used only if it helps the applicant. More than half of the fall 2025 class still sent an SAT, which is why its range, 1,500 to 1,560, is a fairly complete picture compared with other test-optional schools. A score inside it is worth sending; below it, the no-harm rule means it should not hurt, but it is unlikely to help.
UChicago: where your SAT score lands
Enrolled students scoring below you (approx.)
50%
| Middle 50% | 1,500 to 1,560 |
| Your score is | inside the middle 50% |
Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,011 SAT submitters, 449 ACT submitters). Normal curve fitted to the two published percentiles.
Free tuition up to $250,000
The federal net prices already showed a generous school: in 2023-24 the average for families under $30,000 was below zero, meaning grants exceeded the cost, and the band from $30,001 to $48,000 paid $914. The current promise goes further. Families with typical assets earning under $125,000 pay nothing for tuition, fees, housing and meals; under $250,000, and for any student who is the first in the family to attend college, tuition is free. Above that line the price climbs toward the $103,821 budget, with health insurance added unless waived.
UChicago: net price for your family income
Average net price, 2023-24
$226
| Income band | $48,001-$75,000 |
| Share of the 2023-24 cost | 0% |
Federal figure for first-year students on federal aid.
Chicago and its rivals
Admitted students often weigh UChicago against Northwestern, Columbia and Stanford. Northwestern's free-tuition line sits at $150,000, so the comparison flips for a family earning $200,000: the comparison tool shows it, keeping in mind that the federal averages predate both promises.
From University of Chicago’s own documents
- UChicago offers four rounds: binding Early Decision I and non-binding, non-restrictive Early Action (both due November 2, 2026), and binding Early Decision II and Regular Decision (both due January 4, 2027). source
- Students can switch from Early Action to Early Decision I until December 1, and deferred Early Action or Regular Decision applicants can switch to Early Decision II until January 15. source
- Families earning under $125,000 with typical assets pay nothing for tuition, fees, housing and meals; families under $250,000, and all first-generation students, get free tuition. source
- Testing is optional with a 'No Harm' rule: a submitted SAT or ACT is only used if it helps the applicant; 57% of the fall 2025 entrants submitted the SAT (middle 50% 1500-1560) and 25% the ACT. source
- The 2026-27 on-campus cost of attendance is $103,821, of which tuition is $75,960; health insurance comes on top unless waived. source
- For fall 2025, 2,039 of 45,533 applicants were admitted and 1,786 enrolled, a yield of about 88%. source
Net price at University of Chicago by family income
| Family income | Average net price 2023-24 | Share of the 2023-24 cost |
|---|---|---|
| $0-$30,000 | $0 | 0% |
| $30,001-$48,000 | $914 | 1% |
| $48,001-$75,000 | $226 | 0% |
| $75,001-$110,000 | $12,602 | 14% |
| $110,001 and up | $48,524 | 54% |
| All aided students | $14,860 | 16% |
Cost of attendance at University of Chicago, 2026-27
| Item | Amount | |
|---|---|---|
| Tuition | $75,960 | |
| Fees | $1,995 | |
| Housing and food | $21,414 | |
| Books and supplies | $1,800 | |
| Personal | $1,950 | |
| Travel | $702 | |
| Total | $103,821 |
University of Chicago admissions by cycle
| Entering class | Applicants | Admitted | Enrolled | Admit rate |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) | 45,533 | 2,039 | 1,786 | 4.48% |
| Fall 2024 (federal IPEDS figure) | n/a | n/a | n/a | 4.48% |
SAT and ACT scores at University of Chicago
| Score | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029), CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,011 SAT submitters, 449 ACT submitters)) | 1,500 | 1,540 | 1,560 |
| ACT composite (Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2029) (CDS 2025-2026, C9 (1,011 SAT submitters, 449 ACT submitters))) | 34 | 35 | 35 |
| SAT sections, fall 2024 (Scorecard) | 740 + 770 | n/a | 780 + 800 |
Outcomes at University of Chicago
| Measure | Value | Period |
|---|---|---|
| Graduated within 6 years | 96% | fall 2018 entering cohort |
| Returned for a second year | 99% | fall 2023 entering cohort |
| Median earnings 10 years after entry | $91,885 | measured 2020-2021, 10 years after entry, 2022 dollars |
| Median federal debt of graduates | $15,000 | students who finished in 2019-20 and 2020-21 |
| Undergraduates | 7,569 | fall 2024 |
| Students with a Pell Grant | 15% | 2023-24 |