U.S. News #6 · 2026
University of Chicago
Student size 7,569 · admission rate 4.5%
Data methodology
School-level earnings use institutional College Scorecard data, prioritizing median annual earnings 10 years after entry. Major-level earnings below use program-level College Scorecard data, measured in the fourth full year after completing the credential.
- In-state tuition / year
- $70,662
- Out-of-state or international tuition / year
- $70,662
- Tuition year
- 2025-2026
- Tuition source
- College Scorecard Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution.csv
- Ranking source
- U.S. News & World Report Best National Universities 2026
- Earnings source
- College Scorecard Most-Recent-Cohorts-Institution.csv
- Earnings measure
- 10 years after entry median earnings
- Completion rate
- 95.9%
- Median debt
- $13,368
Tuition residency and loan estimate
U.S. colleges commonly price tuition differently for in-state and out-of-state students. This model uses four years of tuition as the loan principal and excludes room, board, scholarships, taxes, and opportunity cost. Fixed-payment formula: payment = principal x monthly rate / (1 - (1 + monthly rate)^-months).
| Annual tuition | $70,662 | |
| Four-year tuition | $282,648 | ROI percentages use this as the denominator |
| 5-year ROI | $176,777 | 63% |
| 8-year ROI | $452,432 | 160% |
| Monthly payment estimate | $3,138 | 10 years, 6% APR |
| Total interest estimate | $93,909 | Fixed-rate amortization estimate only |
Major earnings, tuition, and loan-adjusted ROI
Major-level earnings are College Scorecard program data: median annual earnings in the fourth full year after completing the credential among people who are working and not enrolled. Loan-adjusted ROI equals cumulative earnings minus estimated total loan repayment, with the percentage shown against four-year tuition.
| Major | Major earnings | Four-year tuition | Total loan repayment | 5-year ROI | 8-year ROI |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
Computer Science Sample 156 · quality 4/5 | $178,068 | $282,648 | $376,557 | $513,783 182% | $1,047,987 371% |
Mathematics Sample 181 · quality 4/5 | $172,826 | $282,648 | $376,557 | $487,573 173% | $1,006,051 356% |
Economics Sample 622 · quality 5/5 | $159,578 | $282,648 | $376,557 | $421,333 149% | $900,067 318% |
Statistics Sample 48 · quality 3/5 | $130,189 | $282,648 | $376,557 | $274,388 97% | $664,955 235% |
Liberal Arts and Sciences, General Studies and Humanities Sample 10 · quality 5/5 | $96,510 | $282,648 | $376,557 | $105,993 38% | $395,523 140% |
Public Policy Analysis Sample 90 · quality 5/5 | $94,237 | $282,648 | $376,557 | $94,628 33% | $377,339 134% |
Political Science and Government Sample 111 · quality 5/5 | $87,869 | $282,648 | $376,557 | $62,788 22% | $326,395 115% |
English Language and Literature, General Sample 53 · quality 4/5 | $78,169 | $282,648 | $376,557 | $14,288 5% | $248,795 88% |
Research and Experimental Psychology Sample 99 · quality 4/5 | $73,483 | $282,648 | $376,557 | -$9,142 -3% | $211,307 75% |
Philosophy Sample 61 · quality 3/5 | $71,709 | $282,648 | $376,557 | -$18,012 -6% | $197,115 70% |
History Sample 70 · quality 3/5 | $64,330 | $282,648 | $376,557 | -$54,907 -19% | $138,083 49% |
Clinical, Counseling and Applied Psychology Sample 26 · quality 3/5 | $59,898 | $282,648 | $376,557 | -$77,067 -27% | $102,627 36% |