A college education is the single largest investment many Americans will make in their lifetimes. When accounting for interest on student loans and loss of potential income during school, the total cost of a bachelor’s degree can exceed $400,000.
With so much money at stake, it is important to choose the right school. What makes a school a good fit for any given student can depend on a number of factors, including financial aid packages, course offerings, and location, among others. For many, the right school is simply the most selective school they can get into.
A college degree opens up new job opportunities, increases earning potential, and reduces the likelihood of unemployment. But often, the name of the institution printed on the diploma can be as important as the diploma itself. Highly selective colleges and universities are often well regarded worldwide and can help open doors to more job opportunities.
Based on an index of admissions rates and SAT scores, the University of Chicago ranks as the hardest school in Illinois to get into. In the 2020-2021 school year, a reported 7.3% of all 34,350 applicants were admitted. Additionally, the combined median math and critical reading SAT scores among students admitted in fall 2019 was 1535 out of a possible 1600.
Undergraduate enrollment at the University of Chicago totaled 7,056 as of fall 2020. There are a reported five students for every faculty member at the school, and the average earnings among working students 10 years after enrollment stands at $103,000.
All data used in this story is from the National Center for Education Statistics of the U.S. Department of Education. We only considered predominantly bachelor’s degree-granting colleges and universities with at least 1,000 applicants for the 2020-2021 academic year.
StateSchoolAdmission rate (%)Median SAT score (out of 1600)Faculty members per studentAlabamaUniversity of Alabama77.1136419AlaskaUniversity of Alaska67.0115511ArizonaUniversity of Arizona85.1123515ArkansasHarding University55.1116514CaliforniaCalifornia Institute of Technology6.715453ColoradoColorado School of Mines55.0131017ConnecticutYale University6.515154DelawareUniversity of Delaware66.0125515FloridaUniversity of Florida31.1139017GeorgiaEmory University19.214459HawaiiBrigham Young University75.0117016IdahoUniversity of Idaho74.4112516IllinoisUniversity of Chicago7.315355IndianaUniversity of Notre Dame19.014759IowaGrinnell College19.214508KansasSterling College36.998510KentuckyBerea College33.011949LouisianaTulane University11.114408MaineColby College10.3145010MarylandJohns Hopkins University11.115106MassachusettsMassachusetts Institute of Technology7.315403MichiganUniversity of Michigan26.1143511MinnesotaCarleton College21.214508MississippiMississippi College28.8114515MissouriWashington University16.015207MontanaCarroll College73.0118011NebraskaCreighton University64.0126012NevadaUniversity of Nevada81.0114018New HampshireDartmouth College9.215007New JerseyPrinceton University5.615154New MexicoEastern New Mexico University50.6100517New YorkColumbia University6.715056North CarolinaDuke University7.715256North DakotaUniversity of Mary71.7116411OhioCase Western Reserve University30.3142511OklahomaUniversity of Tulsa69.2122510OregonReed College42.314239PennsylvaniaUniversity of Pennsylvania9.015056Rhode IslandBrown University7.715056South CarolinaWofford College53.0127012South DakotaAugustana University71.4122512TennesseeVanderbilt University11.615108TexasRice University10.915206UtahBrigham Young University69.3131521VermontMiddlebury College22.014458VirginiaUniversity of Virginia22.6143015WashingtonWhitman College54.113458West VirginiaWest Virginia University Institute of Technology55.1103013WisconsinUniversity of Wisconsin57.2139016WyomingUniversity of Wyoming94.2117014
