University of Illinois vs Wake Forest University
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 places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 32.7% of the Class of 2025, against 31.0% at Wake Forest.
- Illinois costs about $56K less over three years after the average scholarship: $125K against $181K, and more of its students get a scholarship (99% vs 76%).
- Wake Forest is harder to get into: a 166 median LSAT and a 24.6% acceptance rate, against 166 and 32.9% at Illinois.
- Illinois has the higher first time bar pass rate: 93.2% against 89.6%.
Illinois
vs
Wake Forest
Where graduates go
Illinois leads 4 of 5
✓32.7%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
31.0%
✓28.1%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
26.6%
✓4.6%
Federal clerkships
4.4%
96.1%
Graduates employed
✓98.7%
✓93.2%
First time bar passage
89.6%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
✓$125K
Three year net cost
$181K
✓99%
Students receiving a scholarship
76%
$32,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$40,000/yr
$28,774/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$29,331/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Illinois 32.9% · Wake Forest 24.6%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Illinois
160166168
Wake Forest
163166168
158160162164166168170
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Illinois
3.553.813.92
Wake Forest
3.603.793.90
3.503.603.703.803.904.00
University of Illinois
Wake Forest University
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Frequently asked questions
Is Illinois or Wake Forest better for BigLaw?
Illinois placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 32.7% against 31.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Illinois placed 28.1% and Wake Forest placed 26.6%. Federal clerkships were 4.6% at Illinois and 4.4% at Wake Forest.
Which is harder to get into, Illinois or Wake Forest?
Illinois's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 166 and a median GPA of 3.81, with a 32.9% acceptance rate. Wake Forest's had 166 and 3.79, with 24.6%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Illinois or Wake Forest?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $125K at Illinois and $181K at Wake Forest, 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, Illinois or Wake Forest?
99% of Illinois students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $32,000 a year among recipients. 76% of Wake Forest students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $40,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
93.2% of Illinois's first time takers passed in 2025, against 89.6% at Wake Forest. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Illinois or Wake Forest?
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