University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign vs University of Minnesota

This page compares University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign and University of Minnesota 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, 69% 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 #20 compared to #48 — a gap of 28 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 Illinois—Urbana Champaign is located in Champaign, Illinois, while University of Minnesota is in Minneapolis, Minnesota. 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 96.6% (UIUC) and 95.2% (UMN), 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.