DePaul University vs University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign

This page compares DePaul University and University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.

In the U.S. News rankings, University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign is ranked #48 compared to #133 — a gap of 85 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign has a median LSAT of 166 compared to 158, a gap of 8 points. This suggests applicants to University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign face a more competitive admissions pool.

Both schools are located in Illinois — DePaul University in Chicago and University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign in Champaign — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.

Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign places 34.0% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 7.8% for the other school. This 26 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.

On cost, University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign has lower tuition at $36,500 per year compared to $55,328. Combined with employment rates of 86.6% (DePaul) and 96.6% (UIUC), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.

Among cross-admitted applicants, DePaul University offered a median scholarship of $120,000 compared to $42,750, a difference of $77,250 that may factor into enrollment decisions.