University of Illinois College of Law
regular Mar 15, 2027
0 of 6 required items complete· next deadline in 149 days
Your numbers against the class of 2025
This is a comparison against published numbers, not a prediction. Admissions committees weigh essays, letters, and experience that no percentile captures.
2,153 applications, 709 offers, 188 enrolled · Verified 2026-08-14 · view source
What it costs, how graduates fare
- Tuition2025-26
$36,500–$46,500 full-time · resident to non-resident · plus $3,404 annual fees
Living expenses $20,620 on campus
Tuition and the fees the school certifies alongside it — not a full cost of attendance. This school certifies a guaranteed-tuition programme.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA Standard 509 report
- Bar passageclass of 2025
93.2%first-time+11.9
81.3% is the average for all ABA-accredited schools’ graduates in the same jurisdictions this school’s graduates sat in · 137 of 147 first-time takers passed
97.3% of the class of 2023 were admitted within two years of graduating
A pass rate on its own says as much about which states a school feeds as about the school, so the ABA’s own like-for-like average is shown with it.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA bar passage report
- Employmentclass of 2025
141 of 153 (92.2%) in full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar admission
Ten months after graduation · 5 more in JD-advantage jobs · 0 still seeking · 4 of the bar-admission jobs are funded by the school
The ABA collects employment status and job type only. It collects no salary, so no salary figure comes from this filing.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA employment summary
- First-year attrition2024-25
3.0% of the first-year class · 5 students
No law school publishes a graduation rate, so this is not one. It is the students who left in their first year, academic and other, as filed. Transfers out are reported separately and are not counted here.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA Standard 509 report
- EarningsCollege Scorecard
Not a starting salary.
$84,855 median one year after finishing · $130,428 after four
$105,518 is the national median at four years for the same credential
A College Scorecard median for 2017-18 and 2018-19 completers who received federal aid, measured a fixed number of years after they finished — not what this year’s graduates are being paid, and not a figure the school or the ABA publishes. The ABA collects no salary data at all.
Verified 2026-08-27 · College Scorecard
Essays
- Personal statementRequired · 3 pgstart by Feb 22, 2027
There is no formula for a successful personal statement, and different applicants will have different approaches and topics for their essays. We encourage you to discuss significant life experiences; meaningful extracurricular activities; why you have chosen to pursue a career in the law; significant obstacles met and overcome; particular political, philosophical, or religious beliefs; prior careers; or experiences relating to disadvantage of any kind.
Notes & source
Typed, 2 to 3 pages, double-spaced (page_limit reflects the upper end of the stated range). The admissions site adds that a narrow focus on a personal attribute or experience is more helpful to the Committee than a broad statement about the law or a restatement of the resume.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Why this schoolOptionalschool-specificstart by Mar 5, 2027
Please describe why you are interested in attending the University of Illinois College of Law. This statement should address how Illinois Law is uniquely situated to help you reach your academic and professional goals. This could include specific academic programs or professional outcomes; it could include family and personal obligations.
Notes & source
The 'Why Illinois Essay' section of the application; explicitly optional ('This question is optional.'). No published length limit.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 500 wschool-specificstart by Mar 8, 2027
Describe a challenge, failure, or setback you have faced and overcome, whether long-term and systemic (e.g., socioeconomic, health, or complex family circumstances) or short-term and discrete (e.g., a workplace scenario or a particularly demanding course). How did you confront it? What, if anything, might you do differently?
Notes & source
Supplemental Essay Prompt #1 of 7; submit responses to one or two prompts at most. Each response less than 500 words, minimum 11-point font, double-spaced, with the prompt number at the top.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 500 wschool-specificstart by Mar 8, 2027
Describe a quality or skill you have and discuss how you expect it will help you in your legal career.
Notes & source
Supplemental Essay Prompt #2 of 7; submit responses to one or two prompts at most. Each response less than 500 words, minimum 11-point font, double-spaced.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 500 wschool-specificstart by Mar 8, 2027
Tell us about a time in the recent past when you changed your mind about something significant.
Notes & source
Supplemental Essay Prompt #3 of 7; submit responses to one or two prompts at most. Each response less than 500 words, minimum 11-point font, double-spaced.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 500 wschool-specificstart by Mar 8, 2027
Our law school culture is one of encouragement, cooperation, and collaboration. We actively seek out students who exhibit those characteristics, even when it is not convenient or easy. Describe a recent experience when you exhibited any or all of these characteristics.
Notes & source
Supplemental Essay Prompt #4 of 7; submit responses to one or two prompts at most. Each response less than 500 words, minimum 11-point font, double-spaced.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 500 wschool-specificstart by Mar 8, 2027
One of the goals of our admissions process is to enroll students who will enrich the quality and breadth of the intellectual life of our law school community and the legal profession. How have your lived experiences and perspectives positively shaped who you are today in a way that contributes to our admissions goals?
Notes & source
Supplemental Essay Prompt #5 of 7; submit responses to one or two prompts at most. Each response less than 500 words, minimum 11-point font, double-spaced.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 500 wschool-specificstart by Mar 8, 2027
Think of someone who knows you in an academic or professional setting, but doesn't know you well (i.e., not a family member or a close friend). How would they describe your work ethic, written or oral communication skills, and/or professionalism? Would their description be accurate? Why or why not?
Notes & source
Supplemental Essay Prompt #6 of 7; submit responses to one or two prompts at most. Each response less than 500 words, minimum 11-point font, double-spaced.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 500 wschool-specificstart by Mar 8, 2027
Provide insight into your potential to contribute to a community of inclusion, belonging, and respect in which scholars with varied perspectives, abilities, and experiences can learn and collaborate productively and positively.
Notes & source
Supplemental Essay Prompt #7 of 7; submit responses to one or two prompts at most. Each response less than 500 words, minimum 11-point font, double-spaced.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- AddendumOptional · 250 wstart by Mar 12, 2027
Please address any concerns you may have in your application. If, for example, you do not believe that your academic credentials demonstrate your true capabilities, please explain why. Also, describe any gaps in your academic career and work experience or any extenuating circumstances in your profile of which the admissions committee should be made aware.
Notes & source
Optional addendum section of the application; 250 words or less, minimum 11-point font, double-spaced. Separately, a supplementary statement is required for any affirmative Character and Fitness answer, for education/employment gaps, and for a less-than-honorable military discharge.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
Letters & documents
- Letter of recommendation (1 of 2)Requiredstart by Feb 15, 2027
Notes & source
Two required, up to four accepted, submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. For applicants graduating within a year of attending law school, it is strongly recommended that at least two letters be academic (professor or teaching assistant). All letters should be academic or professional; not from family, friends, or relatives.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Letter of recommendation (2 of 2)Requiredstart by Feb 15, 2027
Notes & source
Two required, up to four accepted, submitted through the LSAC Letter of Recommendation Service. For applicants graduating within a year of attending law school, it is strongly recommended that at least two letters be academic (professor or teaching assistant). All letters should be academic or professional; not from family, friends, or relatives.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- RésuméRequiredstart by Mar 8, 2027
Notes & source
Required, submitted electronically through LSAC. Cover professional and academic pursuits after high school: employment (paid or unpaid), significant extracurricular activities, honors and awards, and hobbies/interests ('we love a brief hobbies and interests section'). Longer than one page is acceptable if necessary.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Transcripts via LSAC CASRequiredstart by Feb 22, 2027
Notes & source
Applicants must register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS) and submit transcripts reflecting a complete academic history at any and all undergraduate and graduate schools attended, regardless of length of attendance; all transcripts must be submitted and processed through CAS. Applications are accepted only through the LSAC electronic application.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- LSAT or GRERequiredstart by Jan 14, 2027
Notes & source
The Fall 2027 application states: 'Illinois Law requires one of either an LSAT, GRE, or JD-Next score for first-year JD applicants.' Applicants may (but need not) submit more than one score type, and the file is held for review until every selected score type arrives; registration for a future LSAT automatically holds the application until that score posts. Note: the JD Application web page's own text still says all applicants must take the LSAT (valid if received within five years of the application; all LSAT scores must be submitted) and does not mention GRE/JD-Next — the application form is the more current statement, and the school's 2025 ABA 509 report confirms JD-Next enrollees. TOEFL/IELTS additionally required for non-native English speakers without a recent degree from an English-speaking institution.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
Administrative
- Application feeOptionalat submission
Notes & source
'Illinois Law does not charge an application fee.' Free for all applicants; the 2025 ABA 509 report likewise lists the fee as $0.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- InterviewOptionalat submission
Notes & source
Interviews are not part of the standard admission process. The admissions committee may occasionally request a brief phone or video interview from specific applicants; applicants cannot request one.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
Every item above was verified against law.illinois.edu on 2026-08-14. Expand any item for its own source. Always confirm against the school before you submit — and if we have something wrong, report an error.