Head-to-head · 23 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose NU. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 23 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 NU
Median scholarship (chose NU)
Median scholarship (chose UIUC)
View all-time (74 cross-admits)
Trend · NU's share
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 NU vs UIUC
Across 23 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at Northwestern University and 0% 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 Northwestern University and University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 23 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 23 applicants admitted to both schools, 100% chose to attend Northwestern University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Northwestern University 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: Northwestern University has a median LSAT of 173 compared to 166, a gap of 7 points. This suggests applicants to Northwestern University face a more competitive admissions pool.
Northwestern University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 12.3% compared to University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign's 32.9%.
Both schools are located in Illinois — Northwestern University in Evanston and University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign in Champaign — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Northwestern University places 64.1% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 34.0% for the other school. This 30 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 $79,772. Combined with employment rates of 95.6% (NU) 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 $124,500 compared to $105,000, a difference of $19,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.