ABA 509 DATA, 2025
Chicago Law School Admissions: LSAT, GPA, Cost, and Jobs (2025)
People assume T14 schools all place grads into biglaw at the same rate. Chicago doesn't: only 17.1% of the 2024 class went to firms of 101 lawyers or more, well below what a 174 median LSAT and $83,316 sticker tuition would suggest. The acceptance rate is 9.7% on 6,581 applications.
What it takes to get in
These are the school's own reported 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile LSAT and GPA numbers from its ABA Standard 509 filing, the same disclosure every accredited law school has to file each year. The 50th percentile is the median: half the admitted class scored above it, half below.
| Year | LSAT 25th | LSAT 50th | LSAT 75th | GPA 25th | GPA 50th | GPA 75th |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2025 | 171 | 174 | 176 | 3.9 | 4.0 | 4 |
| 2019 | 167 | 170 | 172 | 3.8 | 3.9 | 4.0 |
| 2015 | 166 | 170 | 172 | 3.7 | 3.9 | 4.0 |
The median LSAT is up 4 points since 2019 and the median GPA moved +0.1. The bar moved here.
What it costs
| Sticker tuition (2025) | $83,316/yr |
| 3-year sticker total | $249,948 |
| Pays full sticker | 21.8% |
| Gets some grant | 78.2% |
78.2% of Chicago's class gets some grant money, but 21.8% still pays the full $83,316 sticker, so a score above the 176 75th percentile is your strongest position for pushing that number down.
Your odds
A 176 LSAT and up puts you in Chicago's top quarter, 174 sits you right at the median, and 171 or below drops you into the bottom 25% of the admitted class. At a 9.7% acceptance rate, even a top-quarter score is no guarantee. Run your own numbers through the calculator before you spend a filing fee guessing.
See where you land: the LSAT Unplugged law school chances calculator. What is 1 LSAT point worth here? See the scholarship math.
What you get out (Class of 2024)
| Class year reported | 2024 |
| FT/LT employed, 10 months out | 86.8% |
| Biglaw (101+ lawyer firms) | 17.1% |
| Federal clerkships | 0.4% |
| Government + public interest | 20.9% |
| Bar pass rate | 97.1% |
86.8% of the 2024 class landed a full-time, long-term job within 10 months and the 97.1% bar pass rate is about as safe as it gets, but biglaw placement at just 17.1% runs lower than the sticker price alone would predict.
Schools like Chicago
These 6 are the closest match by median LSAT, then median GPA, out of all 196 schools in the 509 master (as of 2026). Use them as your realistic comparison set, not the list of "reach" schools everyone starts with.
FAQ
What LSAT score do you need for Chicago Law School?
The median LSAT for Chicago's 2025 class is 174. The 25th percentile is 171 and the 75th is 176, up from a 170 median back in 2019.
What GPA do you need for Chicago Law School?
The median GPA is 4.0. The 25th percentile is 3.9 and the 75th is also 4.0.
What is Chicago Law School's acceptance rate?
9.7% for the 2025 cycle, based on 641 offers out of 6,581 applications. That's selective even against other T14 schools.
How much does Chicago Law School cost with and without aid?
Sticker tuition is $83,316 a year, or $249,948 over 3 years before living costs. 78.2% of the class gets some grant, and 21.8% pays that full price. A score above the 176 75th percentile is the strongest position for merit aid.
What jobs do Chicago Law School graduates get?
86.8% of the 2024 graduating class had a full-time, long-term job within 10 months. 17.1% went to firms with 101 or more lawyers, and the bar pass rate for that class was 97.1%.
Is Chicago worth it at sticker?
For most admitted students, yes, given a 97.1% bar pass rate and a strong FT/LT placement number. But the 17.1% biglaw share is lower than you'd expect for the price, so this isn't automatically the highest-paying T14 path. Compare grant offers elsewhere before assuming Chicago's name alone justifies the full $249,948.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Information Reports, 2015 to 2025, via LSAT Unplugged's 509 master. Verify against the school's filing before relying on it. Last updated 2026-09-30.
