Head-to-head · 39 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 72% chose UWisconsin. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 39 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 UWisconsin
Median scholarship (chose UWisconsin)
Median scholarship (chose UIUC)
View all-time (87 cross-admits)
Trend · UWisconsin'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 UWisconsin vs UIUC
Across 39 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 72% enrolled at University of Wisconsin and 28% at University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign. The split has shifted +67 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 Wisconsin and University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 39 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 39 applicants admitted to both schools, 72% chose to attend University of Wisconsin. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Wisconsin is ranked #26 compared to #46 — a gap of 20 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
University of Wisconsin is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 19.1% compared to University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign's 32.9%.
University of Wisconsin is located in Madison, Wisconsin, 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 12.5% for the other school. This 22 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Wisconsin offered a median scholarship of $150,000 compared to $135,000, a difference of $15,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.