Loyola University—Chicago vs University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign

This page compares Loyola University—Chicago and University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 32 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 32 applicants admitted to both schools, 88% 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 #48 compared to #79 — 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 — Loyola University—Chicago 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 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 92.9% (Loyola University) and 96.6% (UIUC), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.

Among cross-admitted applicants, Loyola University—Chicago offered a median scholarship of $99,000 compared to $67,500, a difference of $31,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.