Southern Methodist University vs University of Illinois
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
- Southern Methodist places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 36.4% of the Class of 2025, against 32.7% at Illinois.
- Illinois costs about $59K less over three years after the average scholarship: $125K against $184K, and more of its students get a scholarship (99% vs 94%).
- Southern Methodist is harder to get into: a 167 median LSAT and a 24.6% acceptance rate, against 166 and 32.9% at Illinois.
- Southern Methodist has the higher first time bar pass rate: 97.8% against 93.2%.
Southern Methodist
vs
Illinois
Where graduates go
Southern Methodist leads 4 of 5
✓36.4%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
32.7%
✓33.8%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
28.1%
2.7%
Federal clerkships
✓4.6%
✓98.2%
Graduates employed
96.1%
✓97.8%
First time bar passage
93.2%
What it costs
Illinois leads 4 of 4
$184K
Three year net cost
✓$125K
94%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓99%
$26,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$32,000/yr
$25,027/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$28,774/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Southern Methodist 24.6% · Illinois 32.9%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Southern Methodist
163167168
Illinois
160166168
158160162164166168170
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Southern Methodist
3.523.813.92
Illinois
3.553.813.92
3.453.553.653.753.853.95
Southern Methodist University
University of Illinois
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Frequently asked questions
Is Southern Methodist or Illinois better for BigLaw?
Southern Methodist placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 36.4% against 32.7%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Southern Methodist placed 33.8% and Illinois placed 28.1%. Federal clerkships were 2.7% at Southern Methodist and 4.6% at Illinois.
Which is harder to get into, Southern Methodist or Illinois?
Southern Methodist's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 167 and a median GPA of 3.81, with a 24.6% acceptance rate. Illinois's had 166 and 3.81, with 32.9%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Southern Methodist or Illinois?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $184K at Southern Methodist and $125K at Illinois, 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, Southern Methodist or Illinois?
94% of Southern Methodist students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $26,000 a year among recipients. 99% of Illinois students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $32,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
97.8% of Southern Methodist's first time takers passed in 2025, against 93.2% at Illinois. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Southern Methodist or Illinois?
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