Home › Law schools by state › Compare › New England School of Law vs University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
New England School of Law vs University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.
VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.
The short version
- Illinois Chicago places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 4.0% of the Class of 2025, against 1.8% at New England.
- Illinois Chicago costs about $60K less over three years after the average scholarship: $175K against $235K.
- Illinois Chicago is harder to get into: a 153 median LSAT and a 52.6% acceptance rate, against 153 and 61.3% at New England.
- New England has the higher first time bar pass rate: 73.9% against 68.8%.
New England
vs
Illinois Chicago
Where graduates go
Illinois Chicago leads 4 of 5
1.8%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓4.0%
1.5%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓3.6%
0.3%
Federal clerkships
✓0.4%
75.2%
Graduates employed
✓83.2%
✓73.9%
First time bar passage
68.8%
What it costs
New England leads 3 of 4
$235K
Three year net cost
✓$175K
✓88%
Students receiving a scholarship
61%
✓$40,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$23,250/yr
✓$33,354/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$13,550/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: New England 61.3% · Illinois Chicago 52.6%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
New England
149153157
Illinois Chicago
150153156
146148150152154156158160
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
New England
3.063.373.68
Illinois Chicago
3.133.403.64
3.003.103.203.303.403.503.603.70
New England School of Law
University of Illinois Chicago School of Law
More comparisons with New England
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Frequently asked questions
Is New England or Illinois Chicago better for BigLaw?
Illinois Chicago placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 4.0% against 1.8%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), New England placed 1.5% and Illinois Chicago placed 3.6%. Federal clerkships were 0.3% at New England and 0.4% at Illinois Chicago.
Which is harder to get into, New England or Illinois Chicago?
New England's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 153 and a median GPA of 3.37, with a 61.3% acceptance rate. Illinois Chicago's had 153 and 3.40, with 52.6%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, New England or Illinois Chicago?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $235K at New England and $175K at Illinois Chicago, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, New England or Illinois Chicago?
88% of New England students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $40,000 a year among recipients. 61% of Illinois Chicago students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $23,250 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
73.9% of New England's first time takers passed in 2025, against 68.8% at Illinois Chicago. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose New England or Illinois Chicago?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.
What a higher LSAT changes
Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.
Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology