Head-to-head · 29 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 83% chose UIUC. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 29 self-reported decisions and ABA 509 filings.
Choice, not ranking
These are decisions, not opinions. Scholarship offers, location, intended practice, and personal fit are all priced into the split.
Cross-admit decision
Chose UIUC
Median scholarship (chose UIUC)
Median scholarship (chose Loyola University)
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Trend · UIUC's share
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Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2025 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2024 ABA Employment
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About UIUC vs Loyola University
Across 29 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 83% enrolled at University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign and 17% at Loyola University—Chicago.
These numbers reflect every factor that goes into a real decision: scholarship offers, geographic preference, intended practice area, and fit. Choosing one school doesn't mean it's "better" — it means the pool of cross-admits, weighing their options, ended up there more often. Pair this with the scholarship distribution and employment outcomes above for full context.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign and Loyola University—Chicago across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 29 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 29 applicants admitted to both schools, 83% chose to attend University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign is ranked #46 compared to #77 — a gap of 31 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 161, a gap of 5 points. This suggests applicants to University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign face a more competitive admissions pool.
Both schools are located in Illinois — University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign in Champaign and Loyola University—Chicago in Chicago — 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 16.0% for the other school. This 18 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 $58,670. Combined with employment rates of 96.6% (UIUC) and 92.9% (Loyola University), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Loyola University—Chicago offered a median scholarship of $112,500 compared to $45,000, a difference of $67,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.