UChicago Acceptance Rate: 4.5% for the Class of 2029, Early Decision and Deadlines
By Rona Aydin
What is the UChicago acceptance rate?
The most recent official figures for the University of Chicago give an acceptance rate of 4.5% by our calculation, for students who entered in fall 2025 as the Class of 2029. UChicago received 45,533 first-year applications, admitted 2,039 students and enrolled 1,786, according to its Common Data Set 2025-2026. By our calculation, 87.6% of admitted students enrolled, higher than the fall 2025 yields at Harvard (83.6%), Stanford (79.9%), Yale (68.4%) and Penn (67.8%), also by our calculation from their Common Data Sets. Harvard, Stanford and Yale offer only nonbinding early plans, while UChicago and Penn use binding Early Decision, so these yields reflect how each university admits its class as well as demand.
UChicago has not published applicant or admit totals for the Class of 2030, which entered in fall 2026. Its October 2026 story introducing the class profiles students but gives no admission statistics (UChicago News, October 1, 2026). The 2026-2027 Common Data Set, which will hold those figures, had not been posted as of October 26, 2026.
How has the UChicago acceptance rate changed?
| Entering class | Applied | Admitted | Acceptance rate | Enrolled | Yield |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Fall 2025 (Class of 2029) | 45,533 | 2,039 | 4.5% | 1,786 | 87.6% |
| Fall 2024 (Class of 2028) | 43,612 | 1,955 | 4.5% | 1,726 | 88.3% |
| Fall 2023 (Class of 2027) | 38,631 | 1,849 | 4.8% | 1,626 | 87.9% |
| Fall 2022 (Class of 2026) | 37,522 | 2,039 | 5.4% | 1,729 | 84.8% |
Applications rose 21.4% from fall 2022 to fall 2025, by our calculation, while the number admitted stayed close to 2,000, so the acceptance rate fell from 5.4% to 4.5%. For the same fall 2025 class, the Common Data Sets give Stanford 3.8%, Harvard 4.2%, Yale 4.7% and Penn 4.9%, by our calculation; see our Harvard, Yale and Stanford pages.
What is the UChicago Early Decision acceptance rate?
UChicago does not publish one. Its Common Data Set confirms that it offers Early Decision but leaves the number of Early Decision applicants and admits blank, so any UChicago Early Decision rate found online is an estimate. UChicago offers four plans: Early Decision I and II, which are binding, and Early Action and Regular Decision, which are not (UChicago Admissions). Students may move from Early Action to Early Decision I by December 1, and deferred Early Action or Regular Decision applicants may move to Early Decision II by January 15.
UChicago also offers a binding Summer Session Early Notification option, also referred to as ED0, for students in their final year of high school who completed a UChicago Pre-College Summer Session or a select partner program. Its application window ran from September 1 to October 15, 2026, so it has closed for this cycle (UChicago Summer Session). In our view, families should be cautious about building a plan around this option, because it commits a student to UChicago very early in senior year. Our guide to the UChicago Early Decision acceptance rate covers the early rounds in detail.
When are the UChicago application deadlines for fall 2027?
| Application plan | Application due | Decision released | Reply by | Binding? |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Early Decision I | November 2, 2026 | Mid-December 2026 | Mid-January 2027 | Yes |
| Early Action | November 2, 2026 | Mid-December 2026 | May 1, 2027 | No |
| Early Decision II | January 4, 2027 | Mid-February 2027 | Mid-March 2027 | Yes |
| Regular Decision | January 4, 2027 | Late March 2027 | May 1, 2027 | No |
What SAT scores and grades do UChicago students have?
| Measure | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| SAT total | 1500 | 1540 | 1560 |
| SAT Evidence-Based Reading and Writing | 740 | 760 | 770 |
| SAT Math | 760 | 780 | 790 |
| ACT Composite | 34 | 35 | 35 |
Of students whose schools reported class rank, 32% of the class, 97% ranked in the top tenth. Of students who reported a GPA on a 4.0 scale, 56.8% had a 4.0 and 26.9% had a GPA between 3.75 and 3.99. Our guide to getting into UChicago covers the rest of the application, including its supplemental essays.
Does UChicago require the SAT or ACT?
No. UChicago states that submitting an SAT or ACT “is optional and not required for admission”, and under its “No Harm” policy any score submitted “will only be used in review if it will positively affect an applicant’s chance of admission” (UChicago Admissions, required materials). In our view, a score at or above the 1540 median of fall 2025 submitters is usually worth sending. Our page on whether UChicago requires the SAT and our list of colleges that require the SAT or ACT cover the policy in more detail.
How does the UChicago waitlist work?
UChicago uses a waiting list and does not rank it, but it leaves the waitlist counts blank in its Common Data Set, so there is no official figure for how many students it admits from the list. With a yield near 88%, in our view, waitlist admission at UChicago should be treated as unlikely. Our UChicago waitlist guide covers what a waitlisted student can still do.
How much does UChicago cost for families?
UChicago announced in May 2026 that it “will guarantee free tuition starting in Autumn Quarter 2027” for undergraduates from families with annual income below $250,000 and typical assets, and that families with income below $125,000 and typical assets will also have housing, meals and other fees covered (UChicago News, May 13, 2026).
What does the UChicago acceptance rate mean for applicants?
In the view of Oriel Admissions, UChicago’s 4.5% rate and 87.6% yield point to a class built largely through its binding rounds, although UChicago does not publish the split. Students who are sure UChicago is their first choice should weigh Early Decision I or II, and in our experience every applicant should give real time to UChicago’s distinctive supplemental essays, which ask for a kind of writing most other applications do not. Our page on what UChicago is known for can help a student decide whether the fit is real.
Frequently Asked Questions About the UChicago Acceptance Rate
UChicago admitted 2,039 of 45,533 first-year applicants for fall 2025, the Class of 2029, an acceptance rate of 4.5% by our calculation from its Common Data Set 2025-2026. The rate was also 4.5% for fall 2024 and 5.4% for fall 2022.
As of October 26, 2026, UChicago had not published applicant or admit counts for the Class of 2030. They are expected in its 2026-2027 Common Data Set.
UChicago does not publish Early Decision applicant or admit counts, so there is no official Early Decision acceptance rate. It offers two binding rounds, Early Decision I and II.
Yes. UChicago offers nonbinding Early Action alongside Early Decision I, with a November 2, 2026 deadline for fall 2027 entry and decisions in mid-December. Early Action applicants may switch to Early Decision I by December 1.
Yes. UChicago is test optional under its No Harm policy. Enrolled students who submitted the SAT in fall 2025 had a middle 50% range of 1500 to 1560.
UChicago does not publish a minimum score. The median SAT of fall 2025 enrolled students who submitted scores was 1540, and the middle 50% ACT range was 34 to 35.
Starting in Autumn Quarter 2027, UChicago will guarantee free tuition for undergraduates from families with income below $250,000 and typical assets, and will also cover housing, meals and other fees for families below $125,000 with typical assets.
Only if UChicago is a clear first choice and the family is comfortable with a binding commitment. In the view of Oriel Admissions, Early Decision II gives students more time to be sure than Early Decision I.
Sources: UChicago Common Data Set 2025-2026, UChicago Common Data Set 2024-2025, UChicago Common Data Set 2023-2024, UChicago Common Data Set 2022-2023, UChicago Admissions application plans, UChicago Summer Session Early Notification, UChicago News, May 13, 2026, UChicago Admissions, applying for aid, UChicago Admissions, required materials, UChicago News, October 1, 2026, Harvard Common Data Set 2025-2026, Yale Common Data Set 2025-2026, Stanford Common Data Set 2025-2026, Penn Common Data Set 2025-2026. All read October 26, 2026.
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our team pairs deep admissions expertise with a distinctive 360 approach spanning academic planning, extracurricular strategy, essays and application execution. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.
