University of Chicago

Quick Stats

5801 S. Ellis Avenue
Chicago, IL 60637: [map]

Phone: (773) 702-1234

2011-2012 Tuition

$42,783: tuition and fees

Students

5,238: enrolled

51%: male /

49%: female

Admissions

Jan. 3: application deadline

18.8%: accepted

More Information

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U.S. News Rankings

Ranking score and category

U.S. News rank	Category Name
#5	National Universities

More About U.S. News Rankings

Summary

University of Chicago is a private institution that was founded in 1892. It has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,238, its setting is urban, and the campus size is 211 acres. It utilizes a quarter-based academic calendar. University of Chicago's ranking in the 2012 edition of Best Colleges is National Universities, 5. Its tuition and fees are $42,783 (2011-12).

The University of Chicago, situated in Chicago’s Hyde Park community, offers a rich campus life in a big-city setting. The Chicago Maroons have more than 15 NCAA Division III teams, the majority of which compete in the University Athletic Association, and have strong basketball and wrestling programs. At Chicago, freshmen are required to live on campus, and about 60 percent of students choose to remain on campus, while others live in off-campus apartments and houses. On-campus students are placed in "houses" within their dorm, which serve as tight-knit communities and provide academic and social support. Chicago offers more than 400 student organizations, and about 10 percent of students join the small but active Greek life community.

The University of Chicago is comprised of the College and a number of graduate and professional schools. Its postgraduate offerings include the highly ranked Booth School of Business, Law School, Pritzker School of Medicine, Harris School of Public Policy Studies, and Department of Geophysical Sciences, as well as a top-ranked graduate program in economics and a well-regarded Divinity School. Since 1987, the school has hosted the four-day long "University of Chicago Scavenger Hunt," now a venerable university tradition. Famous alumni include former U.S. Attorney General John Ashcroft, Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics recipient Milton Friedman, civil rights activist Jesse Jackson, former U.S. Supreme Court Justice John Paul Stevens, and author Kurt Vonnegut Jr.

School mission and unique qualities (as provided by the school):

There's no place quite like Chicago.

The University of Chicago offers a distinctive academic experience for college students. As one of the nation's leading research universities, there is a high value placed on serious academic work, but the atmosphere in which it is accomplished is singularly Chicago. Here, scholars and students are engaged in rigorous and creative inquiry, in spirited debate that pries open old dogmas and penetrates conventional wisdom.

It is this climate of openness and creativity that attracts exceptional students and faculty from around the globe, including the current President of the United States, not to mention a total of 82 Nobel laureates (and counting).

Beyond the vast educational resources of the University is Chicago itself, a city that offers a wealth of world-class arts, architecture, museums and more, in addition to miles of magnificent lakefront beaches and parks.

General Information

School type	private, coed college
Year founded	1892
Religious affiliation	N/A
Academic calendar	quarter
Setting	urban
2010 Endowment	$4,904,716,557

Applying

When applying to University of Chicago, it's important to note the application deadline is January 3, and the early action deadline is November 1. Scores for either the ACT or SAT test are due February 1. The application fee at University of Chicago is $75. It is most selective, with an acceptance rate of 18.8 percent and an early acceptance rate of 28.4 percent.

For more information about the tests, essays, interviews, and admissions process, visit the Applying to College knowledge center.

Selectivity	most selective
Fall 2010 acceptance rate	19%
Application deadline	January 3
SAT/ACT scores must be received by	February 1

More About Applying

Academic Life

The student-faculty ratio at University of Chicago is 7:1, and the school has 77.8 percent of its classes with fewer than 20 students. The most popular majors at University of Chicago include: Social Sciences; Biological and Biomedical Sciences; Mathematics and Statistics; English Language and Literature/Letters; and History. The average freshman retention rate, an indicator of student satisfaction, is 98.0 percent.

Class sizes

Student-faculty ratio

7:1

4-year graduation rate

87% - High

Five most popular majors for 2010 graduates

Social Sciences	37%
Biological and Biomedical Sciences	10%
Mathematics and Statistics	7%
English Language and Literature/Letters	6%
History	6%

More About Academic Life

Student Life

University of Chicago has a total undergraduate enrollment of 5,238, with a gender distribution of 51.4 percent male students and 48.6 percent female students. University of Chicago is part of the NCAA III athletic conference.

See what students are saying about life at University of Chicago.

Total enrollment	12,781
Student gender distribution

Undergraduate men who are members of a fraternity	N/A
Undergraduate women who are members of a sorority	N/A
Collegiate athletic association	NCAA III

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Campus Info & Services

University of Chicago offers a number of student services including nonremedial tutoring, health service, and health insurance. University of Chicago also offers campus safety and security services like 24-hour foot and vehicle patrols, late night transport/escort service, 24-hour emergency telephones, lighted pathways/sidewalks, and controlled dormitory access (key, security card, etc). Alcohol is permitted for students of legal age at University of Chicago.

Students who have cars on campus	N/A
Health insurance offered	Yes
Students required to own/lease a computer	No

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Paying for School

At University of Chicago, 48.1 percent of full-time undergraduates receive some kind of need-based financial aid and the average need-based scholarship or grant award is $34,650.

Paying for college doesn't have to be difficult or devastating. Go to the Paying for College knowledge center to get advice on raising cash and reducing costs.

Tuition and fees	$42,783 (2011-12)
Room and board	$12,633 (2011-12) - High
Financial aid statistics

More About Paying for School

Student Reviews Ratings data provided by Unigo

Chicago is a fantastic city, and the University of Chicago can only be as fantastic as you make it. It's not an easy place to go to school, but if you're willing to put a lot of work into it, it's an incredibly rewarding place. There are a variety of reactions to people hearing that I go to the University of Chicago: 1. "UIC?" (NO!) 2. confused look 3. impressed look. People who know the school and can differentiate it from the U of I know its superb academic reputation, but it's a pretty well-kept secret to a lot of people. Once discovered, it's full of bizarre quirky people and places. My favorite spots on campus with my favorite people are the student-run coffee shops, of which we have many; sitting and relaxing or sitting and stressing with a cup of tea and a friend and a couch is a daily experience and one that I relish. The administration is largely unseen as far as I'm concerned. One can be involved in the running of the university as one wants, and I'm content to make my own way. School pride is self-deprecating at best. We have only one t-shirt with a positive slogan on it. And yet the kids keep coming back. Almost everyone considers transferring at some point, or several points, and many take time off (I'm sure at a higher rate than at other schools), but the overwhelming majority graduate and from what I've heard, though I have yet to do it, feel completely satisfied by their experience here.

Amelia Sophomore

I think U Chicago is just the right size. It's not too small where you know everyone, but it's not too large that you might get lost. Well, people in California don't really know of the school. So when I was first telling people that I was going to attend the school, most of them just warned me about the weather and said bring a heavy coat. Out here, however, people often mistake U of C for UIC and it can be very annoying. Not there this anything wrong with UIC but it's just not the school that I go to. People who understand that I mean University of Chicago usually assume that I must be smart and probably think I might be stuck up. On campus, I tend to be in the library a lot unless I'm running to class or different meetings. I also spend time in the Office of Multicultural Student Affairs building and also the University Community Service Center. Since we are div. III, there's not an overwhelming amount of school spirit on campus. However, there are people that faithfully attend athletic events and I would say they exhibit the most school pride. U Chicago tends to pride itself on being uncommon or unusual. One thing that is unusual is the quarter system and the rigorous, infamous core curriculum. One time that I'll always remember is O Week or the freshman orientation week, because that is the only time when you'll just be on campus with absolutely nothing to do! And even then we had required meetings we had to go to!

Cela Sophomore

One thing I would change about the University of Chicago is the discourse that goes on about race. I think that there are gross perceptions about certain races, particularly African Americans that circulate around this school by people who are not educated in that subject. Many times it seems to make a joke about a certain neighborhood and warn people to avoid that place, but we should really take pause and ask ourselves and those who say such things why they say them. I wish that the University would get to the root of the extensive race issues that are underneath the surface of its pristine lawns and neo-gothic buildings. Race is an issue that this University must deal with at one point or another and whether we like it or not we contribute to the problem, by not making it more of an issue to those in charge.

Abimbola Sophomore

More student reviews

* Overview details based on 2010 data

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Summary

General Information

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