Cost of Attendance
Each year the Law School sets a cost of attendance for our degree programs. The cost of attendance includes University charges such as tuition and fees that are directly billed to a student on their University student account as well as estimated expenses a student may incur for living expenses (i.e. housing and food), books and supplies, transportation, personal/miscellaneous expenses, and loan fees. The cost of attendance is used by the Law School to determine a student's financial aid eligibility but an individual student's actual budget will vary from this standard cost of attendance depending upon individual taste and circumstances.
The entering JD cost of attendance listed below is for the nine months of the 2024-2025 academic year (Autumn 2024, Winter 2025, and Spring 2025 quarters). All expenses and allowances outlined below are allocated over all three quarters, with the exception of the Transcript Fee, which is assessed in the Autumn quarter of a student's first year at the University of Chicago.
Figures for the 2025-2026 academic year should be available in May 2025.
For more information on the cost of attendance for 2L and 3L years, or for the cost of attendance for other programs (including 3-Year JD/MBA and LLM), visit the Financial Aid Office's website.
| Tuition | $79,539 |
|---|---|
| Graduate Student Services Fee | $1,452 |
| Transcript Fee | $78 |
| Living Expenses, including Housing & Food | $19,593 |
| Books, Course Materials, Supplies, and Equipment | $1,788 |
| Personal & Miscellaneous Expenses* | $8,436 |
| Transportation Expenses | $2,671 |
| Federal Student Loan Fees** | $2,730 |
| TOTAL FOR 1L STUDENTS | $116,286 |
* This figure is estimated as it includes University rates for medical insurance, which are to be determined as of May 2024. All law students are required to have acceptable medical insurance coverage. Students do not have to join the University's plan if they provide evidence of comparable coverage under their own plan. You can find more information about the University's health insurance plan on the USHIP website.
** Estimated loan fees (for Federal Direct student loan borrowers only). More information about federal student loan interest rates and loan fees can be found on the Federal Student Aid website. Student loan fees will not be included in the cost of attendance for students borrowing private/alternative student loans.
Law students may request an increase to their cost of attendance for the purchase of a computer or laptop. The maximum increase available is $1,500 or the documented cost of the purchase, whichever is less. More information regarding cost of attendance appeals can be found in the Law Financial Aid Handbook.
For a complete schedule of the University’s tuition and fee charges, as well as the refund policy, please consult the Bursar’s Office website.