University of Chicago is the more selective of the two, admitting 4.5% of applicants versus 7.7% at Northwestern University. For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $14,792 per year at Northwestern University versus $8,950 at University of Chicago. Admitted students post SAT middle-50% ranges of 1510–1560 at Northwestern University and 1510–1560 at University of Chicago.
| Metric | Northwestern University | University of Chicago |
|---|---|---|
| Overall acceptance rate | 7.7% | 4.5% |
| Early acceptance rate | 20.0% | 17.9% |
| SAT middle 50% | 1510–1560 | 1510–1560 |
| Avg unweighted GPA | 3.92 | 3.95 |
| Yield rate | 58.0% | 86.0% |
| Class size | 2,100 | 1,726 |
| Net price, $48,001–$75,000 income | $14,792 | $8,950 |
| Net price, over $110,000 income | $41,673 | $40,166 |
Admissions and cost data as of July 3, 2026 (CDS 2024–25 cycle), from the most recent Common Data Set, IPEDS, and College Scorecard. Rows appear only where both colleges report the statistic.
No. University of Chicago is more selective: it admits 4.5% of applicants, versus 7.7% at Northwestern University, based on the most recent Common Data Set.
For a family earning $48,001–$75,000, the average net price is about $14,792 per year at Northwestern University and $8,950 at University of Chicago, so University of Chicago is the lower-cost option at that income level (source: U.S. Department of Education College Scorecard/IPEDS data).
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