Yale University vs University of Chicago (UChicago), where to study in USA?

Yale University vs University of Chicago

Yale University and University of Chicago are two of the top-ranking private research universities in the USA. Both are highly selective with acceptance rates below 10%.

Overview Comparison
Yale UniversityUniversity of Chicago
Collegedunia Score8.1 Out of 108.4 Out of 10
ranking (overall)# 23 QS World University 2025
# 5 US News 2024
# 10 Times Higher Education 2024
# 21 QS World University 2025
# 11 QS World University 2024
# 12 US News 2024
Subject Strength# 18 for Engineering by Times Higher Education 2024
# 10 for Medicine by US News 2024
# 1 for Law by US News 2024
# 129 for Engineering by QS World University 2024
# 35 for Data Science and Analytics by QS World University 2024
# 18 for Medicine by US News 2024
ProgramsUG Programs -33
PG Programs -57
Doctorate Programs -13
UG Programs -36
PG Programs -32
Doctorate Programs -9
Acceptance Rate6.2 %6.0 %
Exam ScoreGMAT-690
GRE-315
IELTS-7
SAT-1460
TOEFL-100
GMAT-570
IELTS-7
SAT-1080
TOEFL-104
Cost to StudyAverage Tuition Fees   67250
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  44500
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 19900 Per Year
Average Tuition Fees   56034
[For UG Program]
Average Tuition Fees  72000
[For PG Program]
Hostel + Meal - 29000 Per Year
placement (average package)

Top recruiters include Yale University, Microsoft Corp, Deloitte Consulting LLP, Harvard University, Kaiser Permanente, etc. 

  • MBA: $150,000 
  • Doctorate: $124,000 
  • PhD: $115,000 
  • Bachelor of Arts: $95,000 
  • Bachelor of Science: $90,000 
  • Masters of Arts: $83,000 

University of Chicago is one of the top private universities in Chicago, United States. It is ranked #10 in QS World University Rankings 2023.

Top recruiters include McKinsey & Company Inc., Amazon.com Inc., Google LLC, JP Morgan Chase & Co., Accenture, Deloitte Consulting LLP etc

  • LLM : $220,000 
  • Masters in Finance : $207,000 
  • Masters in Management : $187,000 
  • MBA : $160,000 
  • Executive MBA : $152,000 
  • Doctorate : $138,000 

application requirements

Translated documents in English; Scores of standardized exams; 3-Recommendations; Writing Samples; Supplementary documents (such as audio recordings, art samples, portfolios, etc.) Mid-year reports are also required along applications. 

Transcripts, English proficiency scores, Supplemental essays, teacher evaluation, GMAT/ GRE scores, Supplemental material (art work, research papers, etc.)

Campuses and B-SchoolsYale School of Management
University of Chicago Booth School of Business
CollegeDunia Reviews7.6/10 Read 3 reviews7.7/10 Read 4 reviews
General Facts Comparison
General FactsYale UniversityUniversity of Chicago
Type of UniversityUniversity
University
Established1701
1890
Student:Faculty Ratio4:1
6:1
Male:Female49% Male, 51% Female48% Male, 52% Female
Location Facts

A 1015 acre campus at the heart of downtown New Haven, Connecticut. Closest airports including Tweed New Haven Regional Airport and Bradley International Airport. Located not too far from New York, Boston, etc. A number of restaurants, clubs, etc. located near campus. Connecticut has an unemployment rate of 4.6 


 A 217 acres campus located in Chicago's Hyde Park and Woodlawn neighborhood eight miles of downtown Chicago.


Library

3rd largest academic library in USA with over 15 million volumes including print and electronic resources housed in 15 libraries that include Sterling Memorial, Beibecke, Bass Libraries, Max Science and Social Science Library and other school and department libraries.


UChicago Library System is the 10th largest academic library in North America comprising 6 libraries. Contains a total of 11.9 million volumes, 65,330 ft. of archives and manuscripts and 245 TB of digital archives.


Campus Life

Campus includes Vanderbilt Hall, Nathan Hall, Connecticut Hall, Battell Chapel, Payne Whitney Gymnasium, Peabody Museum of Natural History, Yale Center for British Art, Yale Bowl, and other renowned research centers, labs, institutes, museums, etc. There are over 50 students clubs and societies. There are 10 museums and galleries for students to visit and exhibit with. You can enjoy and indulge in various athletic and recreational activities. 


Famous campus attractions include UChicago's Metallurgical Laboratory, University of Chicago Press (largest university press in USA), Cobb Lecture Hall, Rockefeller Chapel, Gerald Ratner Athletics Center. UChicago also has over 400 Recognized Student Organizations (RSOs).


Hostel#Housing and Food - $19900
#Housing and Food(4 Quarters) - $29000
Famous Alumni

62 Nobel laureates, 5 field medalists, 3 Turning Award winners, 5 US Presidents, 31 living billionaires, 19 US Supreme Court Justices, 78 Mac Arthur Fellows, Rhodes Scholars, 119 Marshall Scholars, Meryl Streep (Actress), Hillary Clinton (former US Secretary of State), George W. Bush (43rd US President), Indra Nooti (Pepsico).


University boasts of about 182,000 alumni. 100 Nobel laureates, 4 Turning Award winners, 54 Rhodes Scholars, 26 Marshall Scholars, 9 Field Medalists, 52 MacArthur Fellows, 25 Pulitzer Prize winners, 20 National Humanities Medalists, 16 Billionaire graduates. Edwin Hubble (American astronomer), Bernie Sanders (US Senator), Milton Friedman (American economist), Satya Nadella (CEO of Microsoft), Larry Ellison (Founder of Oracle Corporation)


City Life

 A coastal city in Connecticut- New Haven. First planned city in the USA. An economy based on education and health care. Yale is the 2nd largest employer and the best-known feature in the city. The city has a lot of ethnically diverse restaurants, museums, art galleries, live music, and other places to be at. The unemployment rate was around 3.7%


Chicago is the 3rd most populous city, 3rd largest gross metropolitan product and 2nd largest central business district in USA. Located on the shores of Lake Michigan. Home to several Fortune 500 companies (such as Boeing, McDonald's, Walgreens, Kraft Heinz, etc.). Famous landmarks include Art Institute of Chicago, Museum of Science and Industry, Navy Pier, etc.


Weather
Comparison Notes

Yale University and University of Chicago are considered academic peers. Yale ranks higher according to global rankings provided by THE and US News whereas UChicago rankings are higher according to QS.

Why choose Yale University?

  • Yale is a prestigious and is part of the Ivy League.
  • Yale University rankings for engineering and technology, arts and humanities, law, life sciences and medicine are higher than UChicago.
  • Even though the admission committee is highly selective, the average scores for GMAT, TOEFL, etc. accepted are comparatively lower.
  • Yale has a higher ROI with graduates earning about 10,000 USD more than UChicago graduates.
  • QS Graduate Employability Ranking 2020 is higher for Yale.

Why choose University of Chicago?

  • UChicago ranks higher for programs such as Natural Science, Accounting and Finance, Economics, Mathematics, Statistics.
  • Admission at UChicago is comparatively less selective. However, the minimum score requirement is higher than Yale.
  • UChicago does not require SAT or ACT scores for UG admissions. However, students can still submit these scores and it is upto admission committee that how much important role they play in acceptance decision. 
  • Rankings for UChicago's Booth School of Business (#10) is higher than Yale School of Management (#14) according to Financial Times Global MBA Rankings.
  • UChicago MBA graduates earn a higher salary package than Yale MBA graduates.

Between the two- Yale University and University of Chicago, the choice of best university for studying in USA can be made on the basis of program you are interested in.