University of Chicago vs University of Michigan
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
- Chicago places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 82.4% of the Class of 2025, against 64.4% at Michigan.
- Michigan costs about $80K less over three years after the average scholarship: $235K against $316K, and more of its students get a scholarship (91% vs 78%).
- Chicago is harder to get into: a 174 median LSAT and a 9.7% acceptance rate, against 171 and 8.6% at Michigan.
- Chicago has the higher first time bar pass rate: 96.7% against 94.2%.
Chicago
vs
Michigan
Where graduates go
Chicago leads 5 of 5
✓82.4%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
64.4%
✓59.7%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
54.5%
✓22.7%
Federal clerkships
9.9%
✓98.2%
Graduates employed
98.0%
✓96.7%
First time bar passage
94.2%
What it costs
Michigan leads 4 of 4
$316K
Three year net cost
✓$235K
78%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓91%
$15,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$32,000/yr
$15,156/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$28,187/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Chicago 9.7% · Michigan 8.6%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Chicago
171174176
Michigan
168171173
166168170172174176178
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Chicago
3.873.974.00
Michigan
3.743.883.95
3.653.753.853.954.05
University of Chicago
University of Michigan
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Frequently asked questions
Is Chicago or Michigan better for BigLaw?
Chicago placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 82.4% against 64.4%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Chicago placed 59.7% and Michigan placed 54.5%. Federal clerkships were 22.7% at Chicago and 9.9% at Michigan.
Which is harder to get into, Chicago or Michigan?
Chicago's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 174 and a median GPA of 3.97, with a 9.7% acceptance rate. Michigan's had 171 and 3.88, with 8.6%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Chicago or Michigan?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $316K at Chicago and $235K at Michigan, 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, Chicago or Michigan?
78% of Chicago students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $15,000 a year among recipients. 91% of Michigan students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $32,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
96.7% of Chicago's first time takers passed in 2025, against 94.2% at Michigan. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Chicago or Michigan?
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