Stanford vs UChicago

Stanford University and the University of Chicago, two prestigious institutions of higher learning, offer distinct educational experiences. Stanford, nestled in the heart of Silicon Valley, boasts a lower acceptance rate (4.7%) compared to Chicago's (7.3%), indicating its highly selective admissions process. While both universities excel in various academic disciplines, Stanford is renowned for its strength in engineering and computer science, while Chicago is known for its rigorous social sciences and humanities programs. Stanford's student body is more diverse, with a higher percentage of international students and a more balanced gender ratio. In contrast, Chicago has a slightly higher graduation rate (89%) than Stanford (86%), suggesting a strong commitment to student success. Explore the comprehensive comparison table below to delve deeper into the unique characteristics of each university and make an informed decision that aligns with your academic aspirations and personal preferences.
Stanford University logo

Stanford University

University of Chicago logo

University of Chicago

Overview

Location Stanford, California Chicago, Illinois
Campus setting Suburb: Large City: Large
College type 4 year 4 year
Control/business model Private (Non Profit) Private (Non Profit)
Calendar system Quarter Quarter
Degrees offered Undergraduate and Graduate Undergraduate and Graduate
Students retention rate 98.0% 99.0%
Common app member No Yes
Religious affiliation

Admission

Acceptance rate 3.9% 6.5%
Application fees
Undergraduate: $90

Graduate: $125
Undergraduate: $75

Graduate: $90
SAT range 1470 - 1570 1510 - 1580
ACT range 34 - 35 33 - 35
Students submitting SAT score 15.0% 49.0%
Students submitting ACT score 11.0% 35.0%
Total number of applicants 55,471 37,974
Total number of admissions given out 2,190 2,460
Admitted students who chose to enroll 1,757 2,053
Yield rate 80.2% 83.5%
Test scores (SAT/ACT) N/A N/A
High school GPA Not required Not required
Recommendation letters Required Required
High school transcript Not required Not required
English proficiency test (e.g. TOEFL) Not required Required

Tuition and Fees

Sticker price $78,898 $84,126
Average net price $14,402 $33,727
Tuition $55,473 $59,256
Room & board
Room/dormitory: $11,166

Meal plan: $6,694
$17,685
Available payment plans
  • Tuition payment plan

Financial Aid

Students receiving financial aid

(Grants & scholarships)

61.0%
Average amount $56,211
52.0%
Average amount $48,412
Students receiving federal student loan 5.0%
Average amount $5,151
6.0%
Average amount $5,265
Students taking out private loans 1.0%
Average amount $17,186
2.0%
Average amount $37,860

Students and Campus

Undergraduate students 7,645
Men 49.4% Women 50.6%
7,636
Men 52.2% Women 47.8%
Graduate students 10,035
Men 56.5% Women 43.5%
11,196
Men 55.1% Women 44.9%
Racial/ethnic diversity
Moderate
Moderate
Out-of-state students 58.5% N/A
International students 24.4% 28.5%
Campus local/setting Suburb: Large City: Large
Dormitory capacity 14,621 4,584
First year students are required to live on campus? Yes Yes
Top 5 states where most U.S. students come from California Texas Washington New York Illinois N/A

Academics

Popular study areas
  • Engineering
  • Computer and Information Science
  • Business
  • Biological and Biomedical Sciences
  • Physical Science
  • Business
  • Social Sciences
  • Mathematics and Statistics
  • Public Administration and Social Service
  • Computer and Information Science
Students to faculty ratio 5:1 5:1
Institutional accreditation Western Association of Schools and Colleges Senior Colleges and University Commission Higher Learning Commission

Outcome

Graduation rate 95.5% 95.9%
Dropout rate 1.7% 1.7%
Transferred out 0.6% N/A
Alumni salary by major (Top 10)
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $151,574
  • Year 2: $170,457
  • Year 3: $210,837
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $159,729
  • Year 2: $168,942
  • Year 3: $203,193
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $164,734
  • Year 2: $163,337
  • Year 3: $187,054
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Doctoral Degrees)
  • Year 1: $137,457
  • Year 2: $150,874
  • Year 3: $173,548
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $136,126
  • Year 2: $136,499
  • Year 3: $165,375
Electrical, Electronics and Communications Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $128,556
  • Year 2: $135,709
  • Year 3: $157,500
Engineering-Related Fields (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $123,354
  • Year 2: $106,421
  • Year 3: $139,234
Mechanical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $105,326
  • Year 2: $111,435
  • Year 3: $126,185
Aerospace, Aeronautical and Astronautical Engineering (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,457
  • Year 2: $90,856
  • Year 3: $107,477
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $60,475
  • Year 2: $85,391
  • Year 3: $104,592
Law (First Professional Degrees)
  • Year 1: $181,006
  • Year 2: $171,510
  • Year 3: $219,263
Business Administration, Management and Operations (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $159,677
  • Year 2: $159,442
  • Year 3: $178,485
Computer Science (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $93,918
  • Year 2: $91,211
  • Year 3: $142,172
Statistics (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $119,416
  • Year 2: $116,083
  • Year 3: $131,549
Computer Science (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $108,094
  • Year 2: $92,277
  • Year 3: $105,545
Economics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $82,564
  • Year 2: $85,637
  • Year 3: $96,012
Criminal Justice and Corrections (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $99,684
  • Year 2: $84,653
  • Year 3: $91,550
Public Policy Analysis (Master's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $71,121
  • Year 2: $70,083
  • Year 3: $82,672
Mathematics (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $81,753
  • Year 2: $72,022
  • Year 3: $81,130
Public Policy Analysis (Bachelor's Degrees)
  • Year 1: $51,165
  • Year 2: $52,663
  • Year 3: $73,510

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