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University of Illinois vs William and Mary

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.

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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 25.1% at William and Mary.
  • Illinois costs about $105K less over three years after the average scholarship: $125K against $231K, and more of its students get a scholarship (99% vs 66%).
  • William and Mary is harder to get into: a 166 median LSAT and a 22.0% acceptance rate, against 166 and 32.9% at Illinois.
Illinois
vs
William and Mary

Where graduates go

Illinois leads 4 of 5

✓32.7%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
25.1%
✓28.1%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
19.1%
4.6%
Federal clerkships
✓6.0%
✓96.1%
Graduates employed
95.0%
✓93.2%
First time bar passage
92.8%

What it costs

Illinois leads 4 of 4

✓$125K
Three year net cost
$231K
✓99%
Students receiving a scholarship
66%
✓$32,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$29,302/yr
✓$28,774/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$19,113/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Illinois 32.9% · William and Mary 22.0%

LSAT

Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.

Illinois
160166168
William and Mary
161166167
158160162164166168170

GPA

Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.

Illinois
3.553.813.92
William and Mary
3.533.823.94
3.453.553.653.753.853.95

Frequently asked questions

Is Illinois or William and Mary better for BigLaw?
Illinois placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 32.7% against 25.1%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Illinois placed 28.1% and William and Mary placed 19.1%. Federal clerkships were 4.6% at Illinois and 6.0% at William and Mary.
Which is harder to get into, Illinois or William and Mary?
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. William and Mary's had 166 and 3.82, with 22.0%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Illinois or William and Mary?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $125K at Illinois and $231K at William and Mary, 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 William and Mary?
99% of Illinois students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $32,000 a year among recipients. 66% of William and Mary students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $29,302 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
93.2% of Illinois's first time takers passed in 2025, against 92.8% at William and Mary. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Illinois or William and Mary?
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.

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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

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