How to Get Into Chicago-Kent Law School: LSAT, GPA & Admissions (2026)

The honest answer to how to get into Chicago-Kent Law School is two numbers. According to Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, the fall 2025 class posted a 161 LSAT median (156 to 164) and a 3.72 GPA median (3.45 to 3.89). Clear both and you are competitive at one of Chicago's core law schools.

By Ali Unar, Georgetown Law, Founder of Lovare Institut. Ali Unar is a Georgetown Law student and the founder of Lovare Institut, an admissions and LSAT-prep practice built on primary-source law school data. Verified August 2026. Admissions figures on this page come from Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class), employment figures from the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, and the remaining details from Chicago-Kent Law School's own pages.

Chicago-Kent Law School, the law school of Illinois Tech, is the most Chicago-anchored school in this set, and it pairs that focus with strong professional outcomes. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, 79.5% of Chicago-Kent Law School graduates went to work in Illinois, the highest single-market share here, and 17.1% landed at large firms of 101 or more lawyers. The bar results back it up: Chicago-Kent Law School's ABA bar-passage report shows a first-time pass rate of 79.02% for the 2024 exam year in Illinois and an ultimate pass rate of 92.57% for the 2022 cohort, the strongest ultimate figure in this set, while its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure reports first-year academic attrition of 0.0%. For an applicant who wants Chicago and values a stable, outcome-focused program, Chicago-Kent Law School is a natural target.

Chicago-Kent Law School at a glance: LSAT, GPA, acceptance rate and cost

Chicago-Kent Law School is a mid-selective Chicago school with strong large-firm and bar outcomes. According to Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, the fall 2025 class had a 161 LSAT median, a 3.72 GPA median, and a 38.61% acceptance rate. The school bills tuition per credit hour rather than as a single annual figure. The table below collects the core Chicago-Kent (Illinois Tech) law numbers for quick reference.

MetricChicago-Kent Law School (fall 2025 entering class)LSAT (25th / 50th / 75th)156 / 161 / 164GPA (25th / 50th / 75th)3.45 / 3.72 / 3.89Acceptance rate38.61%Applications2,212Offers of admission854Matriculants from the pool245First-year class245 (216 full-time + 29 part-time)Full-time tuition and feesBilled per credit hour; the 509 prints no single annual full-time figureLiving expenses$27,964Share receiving grants92%Median grant$35,000Above-full-tuition awards29Conditional scholarshipsNoFirst-time bar passage79.02% (2024 exam year, Illinois)Ultimate bar passage92.57% (2022 cohort)First-year academic attrition0.0%Employed at ten months89.7% (210 of 234)

Source: Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class), Chicago-Kent Law School's ABA bar-passage report, and the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024. Living expenses are printed separately in the 509, which bills tuition per credit hour and does not publish a single combined cost-of-attendance total, so this page does not state one.

What LSAT and GPA do you really need to get into Chicago-Kent Law School?

You really want a 161 LSAT and a 3.72 GPA to sit at the center of Chicago-Kent Law School's class. Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure puts the LSAT middle at 156 to 164 and the GPA middle at 3.45 to 3.89. Below either 25th percentile, the other number has to compensate clearly.

Chicago-Kent Law School reports an LSAT 25th, 50th, and 75th percentile of 156, 161, and 164, and a GPA spread of 3.45, 3.72, and 3.89, in its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. A 161 LSAT paired with a 3.72 GPA places an applicant exactly at both of Chicago-Kent Law School's medians, which is a competitive position at a 38.61% acceptance rate. The Chicago-Kent (Illinois Tech) law admissions read rewards a file that clears both medians, but the wide LSAT band, described next, leaves genuine room for applicants who are strong on one number.

The LSAT band is notably wide. Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure puts the 25th percentile LSAT at 156 and the 75th at 164, an eight-point full range with five points between the 156 floor and the 161 median. That five-point gap is the widest LSAT spread in this set, so a 156 is inside Chicago-Kent Law School's reported range even though it sits five points under the median. An applicant in the high 150s is genuinely in the mix at Chicago-Kent Law School, especially with a GPA at or above the 3.72 median to strengthen the file.

The GPA band is more conventional. Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure puts the 25th percentile GPA at 3.45 and the median at 3.72, so a transcript in the high 3.4s is inside the reported range and not disqualifying. A number below 3.45 starts to need an LSAT at or above the 164 upper quartile to offset it, which is the practical answer to the Chicago-Kent (Illinois Tech) law GPA question for applicants with a weaker transcript.

On the splitter question, Chicago-Kent Law School is splitter friendly. In its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, the GPA spread from the 25th percentile to the median is 0.27 and the LSAT spread is five points, so the wide LSAT band signals real tolerance for applicants whose numbers are uneven. Splitter friendly means Chicago-Kent Law School will accept a lower GPA when the LSAT is strong; a reverse-splitter-friendly school does the opposite. The wide LSAT range at Chicago-Kent Law School means a high-LSAT applicant with a middling GPA has a genuine path here.

Is Chicago-Kent Law School harder to get into than its reputation?

Slightly easier than its profile might suggest. In Lovare's analysis of the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures, Chicago-Kent Law School ranks 25th most selective of the 38 schools at its 161 LSAT median. Its 38.61% acceptance rate sits in the lower middle of that band, so Chicago-Kent Law School is a touch more accessible than its Chicago-market strength alone would imply.

To size up Chicago-Kent Law School's selectivity fairly, compare it only against schools with a similar academic profile. Among the 38 ABA law schools whose median LSAT falls within two points of Chicago-Kent Law School's 161, that is a median of 159 to 163, ranked by acceptance rate, Chicago-Kent Law School is the 25th most selective of the group, per Lovare's analysis of the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. Being 25th of 38 places Chicago-Kent Law School in the lower middle for difficulty among its true peers, so its admit rate is a bit looser than the middle of its band rather than tighter.

The practical takeaway is encouraging for applicants. Chicago-Kent Law School combines a well-regarded Chicago program, strong bar and large-firm outcomes, and an admit rate that is more forgiving than several schools at the same LSAT level. For an applicant with numbers near both medians, that means Chicago-Kent Law School is a competitive but attainable target rather than a reach. The more useful framing is that Chicago-Kent Law School delivers outcomes near the top of this set while admitting a larger share of applicants than its 161 median might lead you to expect, which is a favorable combination worth acting on.

How much does Chicago-Kent Law School cost, and how much scholarship money will you get?

Chicago-Kent Law School bills tuition per credit hour, and its 2025 ABA 509 disclosure prints no single annual full-time tuition figure, so this page states that plainly and does not compute an annual total. Aid is broad: 92% of students receive a grant, the median grant is $35,000, and 29 awards exceed full tuition.

Start with the sticker, which requires an honest caveat. Chicago-Kent Law School bills tuition per credit hour, and its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure prints no single annual full-time tuition figure. This page will not compute an annual tuition total for Chicago-Kent Law School, because doing so would require assumptions about credit load that the 509 does not supply, and inventing one would violate the standard this page holds itself to. What the 509 does state directly is living expenses of $27,964 for Chicago-Kent Law School, listed separately from tuition.

Now the aid, which the disclosure does report in full. According to Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, 92% of students receive grant aid, with grant amounts at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles of $25,000, $35,000, and $43,862. Chicago-Kent Law School reports zero full-tuition awards and 29 awards above full tuition in the same disclosure, so a meaningful group of students receives aid that exceeds tuition itself, while the typical grant is a large partial award. In absolute dollars, the grants at Chicago-Kent Law School are among the most generous in this set at the top of the range.

Here this page departs from the others by necessity. Because Chicago-Kent Law School reports no single annual tuition figure, this page does not state a net-after-grant tuition number for Chicago-Kent Law School, unlike the schools in this set that publish an annual sticker. What the disclosure supports is that aid is both broad, reaching 92% of students, and strong at the top, with a 75th percentile grant of $43,862 and 29 awards above full tuition. To understand your own net cost at Chicago-Kent Law School, request the current per-credit tuition rate and the expected credit load directly from the school, then apply your grant against that figure.

One reassuring detail rounds out the cost picture. Chicago-Kent Law School reports that its scholarships are not conditional, per the same 2025 ABA 509 disclosure, meaning a first-year award cannot be cut or revoked for missing a class-rank or GPA threshold. The grant an admitted Chicago-Kent Law School student is quoted is the grant they keep for all three years, which removes the renewal gamble that some schools attach to their awards.

What are your real chances off the Chicago-Kent Law School waitlist?

Modest, and the yield explains it. Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure shows 854 offers and 245 matriculants, an implied yield of 28.7%. No ABA disclosure publishes waitlist admits, so implied yield is the honest proxy: a yield near 29% means Chicago-Kent Law School builds its class from a broad offer pool while still filling most seats from first-round offers.

Here is the reasoning in full. Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure reports 854 offers of admission and 245 matriculants, which is an implied yield of 28.7%, per Lovare's analysis of that disclosure. No ABA disclosure, Chicago-Kent Law School's included, publishes how many applicants are admitted from the waitlist or how many accept, so implied yield is the honest proxy for waitlist movement. The logic runs like this: when a school converts about 29 of every 100 offers into enrollments, it is extending well over three times as many offers as it has seats, so the class settles largely from that broad first-round admit pool, with a waitlist used to fine-tune the final numbers.

Put in context, a 28.7% yield is moderate, and it reflects the reality that many Chicago-Kent Law School admits also hold offers from other Chicago-area schools and choose among them. For a waitlisted applicant, that means the Chicago-Kent Law School waitlist is a real but secondary path, most active in years when the first-round class comes in under target. The practical move is to stay in contact with Chicago-Kent Law School, submit a concise letter of continued interest, and keep other options live rather than counting on waitlist movement.

Where do Chicago-Kent Law School graduates actually work?

In Chicago, more than almost anywhere. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, Illinois took 79.5% of Chicago-Kent Law School graduates, the highest single-market share in this set, and the top three markets took 82.1%. Large firms of 101 or more lawyers hired 17.1%, and federal clerkships took 0.9%.

Start with concentration, because it defines the degree. In the ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024, Chicago-Kent Law School placed 186 graduates in Illinois, 3 in Colorado, and 3 in Georgia, its three largest markets. Illinois alone absorbed 79.5% of the class, and the top three markets together took 82.1%, per the same ABA Employment Summary. A Chicago-Kent Law School degree is a Chicago credential in the fullest sense: nearly four in five graduates stay in Illinois, and the out-of-state destinations are scattered rather than forming a second hub. An applicant who wants Chicago is buying exactly the network Chicago-Kent Law School builds.

The employer mix is a genuine strength. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows 17.1% of Chicago-Kent Law School graduates taking jobs at large firms of 101 or more lawyers, a strong large-firm share for a school at its selectivity and second only to Saint Louis in this set, alongside a broad mix of smaller-firm, government, public-interest, and business roles. Federal clerkships add a small channel, with the same summary showing 0.9% of Chicago-Kent Law School graduates in federal clerkships, so Chicago-Kent Law School is primarily a firm-and-market pipeline rather than a clerkship feeder.

Overall placement is solid, and the quality signals are strong. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows 210 of 234 Chicago-Kent Law School graduates employed at the ten-month mark, an 89.7% employment rate. Two figures reinforce the program's stability: Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA 509 disclosure reports first-year academic attrition of 0.0%, so essentially no one who starts washes out academically, and Chicago-Kent Law School's ABA bar-passage report shows an ultimate pass rate of 92.57% for the 2022 cohort, the strongest ultimate figure in this set, against a first-time rate of 79.02% for the 2024 exam year in Illinois.

When are Chicago-Kent Law School's application deadlines?

Chicago-Kent Law School's specific application deadlines and Early Decision terms are not confirmed here for the current cycle, so the dates and any binding terms should be confirmed directly on Chicago-Kent Law School's admissions site. The guidance here is verified as of August 2026 and is meant as a planning aid, not as the registrar of record.

Because the exact calendar is not confirmed here, this page will not state a Chicago-Kent Law School deadline or claim that the school does or does not offer a binding Early Decision round. What holds across law school admissions generally is that applying earlier in a cycle usually helps, since seats and scholarship dollars are more plentiful before a class fills, and at a school like Chicago-Kent Law School that competes with other Chicago programs for the same applicants, an early and complete file stands out. Treat that as general strategy rather than a Chicago-Kent Law School specific rule.

The concrete step for a Chicago-Kent Law School applicant is to open the school's admissions page, note the current regular deadline and any early-application or Early Decision option along with its binding terms, and build a timeline backward from there, leaving room for the LSAT score and letters to arrive. Everything stated on this page was verified in August 2026, and application dates shift from cycle to cycle, so confirm the current Chicago-Kent Law School calendar before relying on any date.

Frequently asked questions about getting into Chicago-Kent Law School

Is a 161 LSAT good enough for Chicago-Kent Law School?

Yes. A 161 is exactly Chicago-Kent Law School's LSAT median, per Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, which puts the middle range at 156 to 164. Paired with a GPA at or above the 3.45 floor, a median LSAT makes an applicant competitive at a 38.61% acceptance rate. Because the LSAT band is wide, even a high-150s score keeps an applicant in range at Chicago-Kent Law School.

What GPA do you need for Chicago-Kent Law School?

Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure reports a GPA median of 3.72, with a 25th percentile of 3.45 and a 75th percentile of 3.89. The middle half of the Chicago-Kent Law School class sits between 3.45 and 3.89. Realistically you want a GPA of at least 3.45, and anything below it needs an LSAT near the 164 upper quartile to offset at Chicago-Kent Law School.

What is Chicago-Kent Law School's acceptance rate?

Chicago-Kent Law School's acceptance rate is 38.61%, computed as 854 offers against 2,212 applications in Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. That ranks 25th most selective of the 38 schools at its LSAT level, so it is a bit more accessible than the middle of its band. About two in five applicants receive an offer from Chicago-Kent Law School.

How many people apply to Chicago-Kent Law School?

Chicago-Kent Law School received 2,212 applications for its fall 2025 entering class, according to Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure. From that pool, Chicago-Kent Law School extended 854 offers of admission and enrolled 245 matriculants, building a first-year class of 245, which includes 216 full-time and 29 part-time students, the largest first-year class in this set.

How much does Chicago-Kent Law School cost?

Chicago-Kent Law School bills tuition per credit hour, and its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure prints no single annual full-time tuition figure, so this page does not state an annual total or invent one. The 509 does list living expenses of $27,964. To find your own cost, request the current per-credit rate and expected credit load directly from Chicago-Kent Law School.

Does Chicago-Kent Law School give scholarships?

Yes, broadly. Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure reports that 92% of students receive a grant, with amounts of $25,000, $35,000, and $43,862 at the 25th, 50th, and 75th percentiles. Chicago-Kent Law School reports 29 awards above full tuition, and its scholarships are not conditional, so an award cannot be cut for grades.

What is Chicago-Kent Law School's bar passage rate?

Chicago-Kent Law School's ABA bar-passage report shows a first-time pass rate of 79.02% for the 2024 exam year in Illinois, with an ultimate pass rate of 92.57% for the 2022 cohort, the strongest ultimate figure in this set. The wide gap between the two means most Chicago-Kent Law School graduates who do not pass first time pass on a later attempt, ending with a strong ultimate result.

Where do Chicago-Kent Law School graduates work?

Overwhelmingly in Chicago. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows Illinois taking 186 Chicago-Kent Law School graduates (79.5%), Colorado taking 3, and Georgia taking 3, so the top three markets account for 82.1% of the class. A Chicago-Kent Law School degree is a Chicago credential, with only scattered out-of-state placements beyond it.

Can a splitter get into Chicago-Kent Law School?

Yes. Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure shows a GPA 25th-to-median spread of 0.27 and an LSAT spread of five points, the widest LSAT spread in this set, which makes Chicago-Kent Law School splitter friendly. A high-LSAT applicant with a GPA below the 3.72 median has a genuine path at Chicago-Kent Law School thanks to that wide LSAT range.

How selective is Chicago-Kent Law School compared with schools at the same LSAT?

Chicago-Kent Law School is lower-middle for selectivity in its band. Among the 38 schools with a median LSAT within two points of Chicago-Kent Law School's 161, ranked by acceptance rate, its 38.61% ranks 25th most selective, per Lovare's analysis of the 2025 ABA 509 disclosures. So Chicago-Kent Law School is a bit more accessible than the middle of its band, a favorable read given its strong outcomes.

Is Chicago-Kent Law School worth it?

For a Chicago-focused applicant, the outcomes make a strong case. The ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2024 shows 17.1% of Chicago-Kent Law School graduates in large firms and 79.5% placed in Illinois, and its ABA bar-passage report shows a 92.57% ultimate pass rate. Because Chicago-Kent Law School bills tuition per credit hour with no annual figure, confirm your own net cost with the school before deciding.

What LSAT and GPA give the best shot at a Chicago-Kent Law School scholarship?

Numbers above Chicago-Kent Law School's medians give the best shot: a 164 LSAT at the 75th percentile paired with a GPA near 3.89 positions an applicant for the top of the grant range, which reaches $43,862 at the 75th percentile per Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, and for one of the 29 above-full-tuition awards. Strong numbers reach the largest awards at Chicago-Kent Law School.

What is Chicago-Kent Law School's first-year attrition rate?

Chicago-Kent Law School reports first-year academic attrition of 0.0%, per its 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure, meaning essentially no one who starts washes out for academic reasons. That is an excellent retention signal and a point in the school's favor: an admitted Chicago-Kent Law School student who does the work is very likely to progress through the first year and continue toward the degree.

Does Chicago-Kent Law School have Early Decision?

Chicago-Kent Law School's Early Decision terms are not confirmed here for the current cycle, so this page will not state whether the school runs a binding early round or what its terms are. An applicant considering an early application should confirm the current Early Decision or early-application options, and any binding commitment, directly on Chicago-Kent Law School's admissions site. The guidance here was verified in August 2026 and is a planning aid only.

Does Chicago-Kent Law School have a part-time program?

Yes. Chicago-Kent Law School's 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosure reports a first-year class of 245 made up of 216 full-time and 29 part-time students, the largest first-year class in this set. The part-time division is a genuine option for a Chicago-Kent Law School applicant who needs to keep working while studying, and the same admissions medians, broad grant reach, and Chicago-market outcomes described on this page apply to the school as a whole rather than to the full-time division alone.

Sources

Every figure on this page is drawn from primary disclosures, listed here so readers can verify each one directly.

Chicago-Kent Law School 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report (fall 2025 entering class): https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/AnnualQuestionnaire/GenerateIndividualDisclosure509Report?schoolId=45&year=2025

Chicago-Kent Law School ABA bar-passage report: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/BarPassageOutcomes/GenerateIndividualBarPassageReport?schoolId=45&year=2025

ABA Employment Summary, Class of 2024: https://backend.abarequireddisclosures.org/api/EmploymentOutcomes/GenerateIndividualEQSummaryReport?schoolId=45&year=2024

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