Head-to-head · 29 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 97% chose UMich. 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 UMich
Median scholarship (chose UMich)
Median scholarship (chose UIUC)
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Trend · UMich'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 UMich vs UIUC
Across 29 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 97% enrolled at University of Michigan and 3% at University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign.
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 Michigan and University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign 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, 97% chose to attend University of Michigan. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Michigan is ranked #9 compared to #46 — a gap of 37 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of Michigan has a median LSAT of 171 compared to 166, a gap of 5 points. This suggests applicants to University of Michigan face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of Michigan is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 8.6% compared to University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign's 32.9%.
University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, while University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign is in Champaign, Illinois. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of Michigan places 50.3% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 34.0% for the other school. This 16 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 $76,108. Combined with employment rates of 95.0% (UMich) and 96.6% (UIUC), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign offered a median scholarship of $110,400 compared to $97,500, a difference of $12,900 that may factor into enrollment decisions.