What makes UChicago different
- One College, many fields. Nearly 70 majors and 60 minors sit within a single undergraduate College, with full-time advisers.
- A House system. Students live in Houses that make housemates into study partners, teammates and friends.
- Unusual essay prompts. Many of UChicago's essay questions are suggested by current students and can be answered seriously or playfully.
What UChicago students study
The most common bachelor's degrees (class of 2024): econometrics and quantitative economics (548), computer science (178), mathematics (134), biology (126), political science (75) and public policy analysis (66). Source: IPEDS Completions, first majors only.
You may thrive at UChicago if…
- You love ideas and discussion for their own sake.
- You want a residential community inside a big city.
- You're drawn to economics, the sciences, math or the humanities.
Worth asking about
- What does the Core ask of first- and second-year students?
- How does the House system work?
How UChicago compares with similar universities
UChicago admitted 4.5% of applicants for fall 2024, tied with MIT for the lowest rate in this group. See early decision, early action and test policies at all 19 universities.
FAQ
What is the University of Chicago's acceptance rate? 4.5% for fall 2024: 1,955 of 43,612 applicants were admitted.
Does UChicago have early decision? Yes. UChicago offers binding early decision in two rounds, Early Decision I and II, plus non-binding early action. It leaves the early decision counts blank in its 2024–25 Common Data Set, so there's no published rate. Source
Does UChicago require the SAT or ACT? No. UChicago is test-optional for all first-year applicants, and a submitted score is used only if it helps. This applies to students applying in 2026–27 for fall 2027. Source
Does UChicago charge out-of-state tuition? No. UChicago is private, so published tuition and fees are the same for students from any state: $70,662 a year before aid. About 68% of first-year students came from outside Illinois.
How much is UChicago tuition per quarter? About $23,554 a quarter, a third of the published $70,662 a year, before aid. UChicago's academic year has three quarters.
Is UChicago an R1 university? Yes. In the 2025 Carnegie Classifications, the University of Chicago is an R1 university, the group with the highest research spending and doctoral degrees. What R1 means →
How many students go to UChicago? About 7,600 undergraduates (fall 2024).
What is UChicago known for? Its intellectual culture, economics and the sciences, and its Hyde Park campus.
How much does UChicago cost? Published tuition and fees are $70,662 a year before aid, and the total cost of attendance is $90,360. Students who received aid paid $20,531 a year on average.
Wondering if a discussion-heavy campus fits you?
Lens's assessments show which kinds of colleges fit how you learn and live. Start with Lens →