University of Chicago
University of Chicago Featured Rankings
- #1 Best Research Universities in Illinois 2022
- #1 Best Colleges in Illinois
- #1 Most Influential US Universities by State
- #1 Best Grad Schools Illinois 2022
- #1 Best Private Colleges in Illinois
- #2 Anthropology Research Universities
- #2 Economics Colleges and Universities
- #2 Best MBA in Finance Programs
- #3 What Can You Do with an MBA in Finance?
- #3 Sociology Research Universities
- #4 The Best Traditional MBA Programs
- #4 Sociology Colleges and Universities
- #4 Best Private Grad Schools 2022
- #4 Best Undergrad Private Colleges
- #4 Best Undergrad Research Universities 2022
- #5 Earth Sciences Research Universities
- #5 Political Science Research Universities
- #5 Best Research Universities for Psychology Majors
- #5 Philosophy Research Universities
- #5 Best Undergrad Colleges 2025
- #5 Computer Science Research Universities
- #5 Biology Research Universities
- #5 Math Research Universities
- #5 Economics Research Universities
- #5 Best US Universities 2025
- #5 Religious Studies Research Universities
- #5 Best Grad Schools 2025
- #5 The Fastest Traditional MBA Degree Programs
- #6 English Research Universities
- #6 History Research Universities
- #6 The Best Schools in the World for Earning an MBA
- #6 Best Universities World 2025
- #7 Physics Research Universities
- #11 Chemistry Research Universities
- #16 Engineering Research Universities
About University of Chicago
The University of Chicago is one of the foremost universities in the world academically, albeit one of the youngest in that august company. In spite of its relatively recent founding, the school has been associated with some of the world’s most important scientific achievements, above all, the first controlled, self-sustaining, nuclear chain reaction (atomic fission), which was achieved in late 1942 by a team led by the legendary Italian physicist, Enrico Fermi, in a laboratory beneath a football field on the Chicago campus.
In another first, in 1952 then-graduate student Stanley Miller, with the assistance of his adviser, the distinguished University of Chicago chemist Harold Urey, demonstrated that organic molecules such as amino acids can be artificially produced in vitro from only inorganic precursor compounds. It is also worth noting that James D. Watson, the co-discover with Francis Crick of the double-helix structure of the DNA molecule at the University of Cambridge—also in 1952—completed his undergraduate education at Chicago.
However, Chicago is famed for far more than its contributions to science. For example, in 1896 renowned philosopher John Dewey founded the “Lab School” on the university’s campus to put his liberal pedagogical principles into practice. For better or for worse, the Chicago Lab School has had an incalculable impact on the course of educational philosophy in America.
In 1952, former University of Chicago President Robert Maynard Hutchins and philosophy professor Mortimer J. Adler teamed up to found the Great Books of the Western World publishing project and accompanying curriculum—one of the most important ancestors of the Great Books programs that are increasing in popularity today throughout the US.
Of the approximately 90 Nobel Prize recipients connected to the University of Chicago, no fewer than 29 have been recognized for their work in economics, including such distinguished names as:
- Friedrich Hayek
- Paul Samuelson
- Kenneth Arrow
- Herbert Simon
- Milton Friedman
- James M. Buchanan
- George Stigler
- Robert Lucas
- Ronald Coase
- Gary Becker
- Eugene Fama
Friedman’s free-market views, in particular, have been identified with the university—so much so that he and his close associates (Stigler, Lucas, Coase, Becker, Fama, among others) have come to be known collectively as the “Chicago School” of economics.
The American novelist and Nobelist Saul Bellow was a professor at Chicago, as well as a longtime member of the university’s prestigious Committee on Social Thought.
Of the many other distinguished scholars associated with the Committee on Social Thought, we may mention Hans Jonas, Hannah Arendt, Mircea Eliade, Allan Bloom, and Leon Kass.
In addition, the highly influential political philosopher, Leo Strauss, held the Robert Maynard Hutchins Distinguished Service Professorship at Chicago for 20 years.
Other distinguished Chicago-related individuals include:
- Astrophysicist, Edwin Hubble
- Physicists, Luis Walter Alvarez & Carl Sagan
- Statistician, Nate Silver
- Novelists, Kurt Vonnegut & Philip Roth
- Philosopher, Richard Rorty
- Essayist, novelist, and culture critic, Susan Sontag
- Historian, Carter G. Woodson
- Anthropologist, Clifford Geertz
- Economist, Thomas Sowell
- Author, radio broadcaster, and oral history pioneer, Studs Terkel
- Actor, Ed Asner
- Actor and film director, Mike Nichols
- Film critic, Roger Ebert
- Dancer and choreographer, Katherine Dunham
- Washington Post publisher, Katharine Graham
- 2020 Democratic Party presidential nomination candidates, Amy Klobuchar & Bernie Sanders
According to Wikipedia, The University of Chicago is a private research university in Chicago, Illinois, United States. The university has its main campus in Chicago's Hyde Park neighborhood. The university is composed of an undergraduate college and four graduate research divisions, which contain all of the university's graduate programs and interdisciplinary committees. It has eight professional schools: the Law School; the Booth School of Business; the Pritzker School of Medicine; the Crown Family School of Social Work, Policy, and Practice; the Harris School of Public Policy; the Divinity School; the Graham School of Continuing Liberal and Professional Studies; and the Pritzker School of Molecular Engineering. The university has additional campuses and centers in London, Paris, Beijing, Delhi, and Hong Kong, as well as in downtown Chicago.
University of Chicago's Online Degrees
University of Chicago Admissions, Retention, and Graduation Information
Annual Applications | Acceptance | Graduation Rate | Median SAT Score | Median ACT Score |
---|---|---|---|---|
37,522 | 5% | 96% | 1540 | 34 |
How Much Does University of Chicago Cost To Attend?
Tuition (in-state) |
---|
$64,260 |
Income | Average Net Cost |
---|---|
0 - 30K | $958 |
30K - 48K | $1,595 |
48K - 75K | $3,596 |
75K - 110K | $13,531 |
110K+ | $47,835 |
How Much Do University of Chicago Graduates Make?
If you graduate from University of Chicago, then you can expect to earn an average of $103,000 per year. You also have a 90% chance of being employed after 10 years.
University of Chicago's Demographics
Demographic data is for full-time, on-campus students.
Student Body | Under-Grads | Graduates |
---|---|---|
20,814 | 8,942 | 11,872 |
Where is University of Chicago?
University of Chicago is located at 5801 S Ellis Ave, Chicago IL 60637
How Safe is University of Chicago?
University of Chicago has a violent crime rate of less than .01% and a property crime rate of less than .01%.
What Is University of Chicago Known For?
University of Chicago is known for it's academic work in the following disciplines:
- Anthropology
- Sociology
- Economics
- Philosophy
- Religious Studies
- Social Work
- Mathematics
- Political Science
- Law
- Psychology
- Education
- History
- Earth Sciences
- Criminal Justice
- Physics
- Communications
- Chemistry
- Biology
- Business
- Literature
- Medical
- Computer Science
- Engineering
University of Chicago's Top Areas of Influence With Degrees Offered
Who Are University of Chicago's Most Influential Alumni?
University of Chicago's most influential alumni include professors and professionals in the fields of Sociology, Economics, and Anthropology. Here are some of University of Chicago's most famous alumni:
- Milton Friedman
- An American economist, statistician, and writer.
- Herbert A. Simon
- An American political scientist, economist, sociologist, and psychologist .
- Paul Samuelson
- An American economist.
- Joseph Stiglitz
- An American economist, professor, and recipient of the Nobel Memorial Prize in Economics.
- Richard Rorty
- An American philosopher.
- James Watson
- An American molecular biologist, geneticist, and zoologist, (1928– ), Chicago, Illinois, USA.
- Martin Gardner
- An American recreational mathematician and philosopher .
- Thomas Sowell
- An American economist, social theorist, political philosopher and author.
- George Lakoff
- An American linguist.
- John B. Watson
- An American psychologist .
- Gary Becker
- An American economist .
- Philip Roth
- An American novelist .
Who Are University of Chicago's Most Influential Faculty?
University of Chicago's most influential faculty include professors in the fields of Sociology, Economics, and Anthropology. Here are some of University of Chicago's most famous alumni:
- Sendhil Mullainathan
- An Indian economist.
- Daniel J. Bernstein
- An American mathematician, cryptologist and programmer.
- Ngô Bảo Châu
- A Vietnamese math professor.
- Nic Pizzolatto
- An American writer.
- Robert W. Vishny
- An American economist.
- Gita Gopinath
- An Indian-American economist.
- Ian Agol
- An American mathematician.
- Konstantin Sonin
- A Russian economist.
- Jesse Shapiro
- An American economist.
- Sian Beilock
- A Professor of Psychology.
- Xavier Gabaix
- A French economist.
- Melissa Harris-Perry
- An American journalist.