ABA 509 DATA BY STATE, 2025
Law Schools in Illinois: LSAT, GPA, Cost, and Jobs (2025)
"Do I need to get into Northwestern to make Illinois worth it?" No. Illinois has 9 ABA-accredited schools, a 161 median-of-medians LSAT, and Southern Illinois, the cheapest of the 9 at $16,957 a year, still places 82.1% of grads full-time, long-term.
Every ABA law school in Illinois
Ranked by median LSAT, highest first. Every school's own page has the full 25th/50th/75th breakdown, cost, and job outcomes.
| School | LSAT 50th | GPA 50th | Accept. rate | Sticker/yr | FT/LT jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Chicago | 174 | 4.0 | 9.7% | $83,316 | 86.8% |
| Northwestern | 173 | 4.0 | 12.3% | $79,722 | 97.8% |
| Illinois Champaign | 166 | 3.8 | 32.9% | $46,500 | 82.4% |
| Kent | 161 | 3.7 | 38.6% | $53,850 | 98.5% |
| Loyola Chicago | 161 | 3.7 | 28.2% | $58,670 | 92.9% |
| DePaul | 158 | 3.6 | 34.8% | $55,328 | 84.4% |
| Illinois Chicago | 153 | 3.4 | 52.6% | N/A on file | 98% |
| Northern Illinois | 150 | 3.4 | 44.3% | $23,667 | 84% |
| Southern Illinois | 149 | 3.4 | 56.2% | $16,957 | 82.1% |
See what 1 extra LSAT point is worth in grants at each school above.
Reading the Illinois market
Illinois runs 9 schools across a wide range, anchored by 2 genuine national names. Chicago leads at a 174 median LSAT and a 9.7% acceptance rate, with Northwestern close behind at 173. Illinois Champaign follows at 166, a real step down but still competitive at a 32.9% acceptance rate. Kent and Loyola Chicago hold the middle at 161, DePaul sits at 158, and the bottom tier, Illinois Chicago, Northern Illinois, and Southern Illinois, runs from 149 to 153 with acceptance rates between 44.3% and 56.2%.
Cost splits sharply between Chicago's private tier and its public downstate schools. Chicago charges $83,316 a year and Northwestern $79,722. Illinois Champaign, the public flagship, runs $46,500, and Southern Illinois is the cheapest confirmed sticker in the state at $16,957. DePaul discounts the most of the 9, 99.2% of its class, so its effective price for a strong applicant lands well below the $55,328 sticker.
Placement doesn't track price at all here. Kent posts the state's best full-time, long-term rate at 98.5%, ahead of even Northwestern's 97.8% and well above Chicago's 86.8%. Illinois Chicago also clears 98%, despite sitting near the bottom of the admissions tier. That gap between prestige and placement is the single most useful thing to notice about this state.
Illinois rewards applicants who look past name recognition. Kent's placement numbers rival the T14 schools above it at a fraction of the cost, and Southern Illinois offers a legitimately cheap path to a licensed career with respectable outcomes. If your numbers don't clear Chicago or Northwestern's bar, that's not a downgrade in this state the way it is in most others.
FAQ
How many ABA-accredited law schools are in Illinois?
Illinois has 9 ABA-accredited law schools, including 2, Chicago and Northwestern, ranked among the most selective in the country.
What's the easiest law school to get into in Illinois?
Southern Illinois has the lowest median LSAT in the state at 149, a 3.4 median GPA, and a 56.2% acceptance rate.
What's the cheapest law school in Illinois?
Southern Illinois has the lowest sticker tuition in the state at $16,957 a year.
Which Illinois law school has the best job placement?
Kent posts the state's strongest full-time, long-term placement rate at 98.5%, ahead of Northwestern at 97.8% and Illinois Chicago at 98%.
Is it worth going to law school in Illinois if I don't plan to practice there?
Chicago and Northwestern travel anywhere on reputation alone. Below that tier, the honest read is that placement outcomes in Illinois don't track prestige closely, so a school like Kent can outperform its own admissions ranking on jobs. That makes Illinois a strong state to look at closely rather than default to the most famous name.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Information Reports, 2015 to 2025, via LSAT Unplugged's 509 master. Verify against each school's own filing before relying on it. Last updated 2026-10-05.
