Head-to-head · 34 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 71% chose UMN. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 34 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 UMN
Median scholarship (chose UMN)
Median scholarship (chose UIUC)
View all-time (87 cross-admits)
Trend · UMN's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
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 UMN vs UIUC
Across 34 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 71% enrolled at University of Minnesota and 29% at University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign. The split has shifted +52 points across the tracked cycles.
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.
Looking at a different matchup? Browse all comparisons or run a custom pair from the index.
Compare another pair
Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares University of Minnesota and University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 34 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 34 applicants admitted to both schools, 71% chose to attend University of Minnesota. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Minnesota is ranked #22 compared to #46 — a gap of 24 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of Minnesota has a median LSAT of 171 compared to 166, a gap of 5 points. This suggests applicants to University of Minnesota face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of Minnesota is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, 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 Illinois—Urbana Champaign places 34.0% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 16.1% 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 $51,440. Combined with employment rates of 95.2% (UMN) 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 $139,500 compared to $112,500, a difference of $27,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.