What a friend would tell you
What Loyola Chicago is looking for
Connecting your goals to Chicago matters. Loyola wants students who will use the city for internships, service projects, and clinical placements. Reference specific programs: the Arrupe College bridge, the Parkinson School of Health Sciences, or the Quinlan School of Business co-op track. The Jesuit service component isn't optional; frame community engagement as something you've already done, not something you plan to start.
What students wish they'd known
Rogers Park is safe but not the exciting part of Chicago most students imagine. Lake Michigan wind in January is punishing. The commuter-student population means campus can empty out on weekends. Loyola's name often gets confused with other Loyola schools, and the brand doesn't carry the same weight as Jesuit peers like Georgetown or Boston College.
Loyola Chicago might be a fit if...
- You want Jesuit education with full access to Chicago's internship and cultural scene
- You're pre-health or pre-law and want clinical or legal placements starting sophomore year
- You prefer a mid-size university that feels more personal than DePaul or UIC
Loyola Chicago Admissions Strategy
Application Info
Plans: Rolling (priority December 1)
Deadlines: RD Rolling (priority December 1)
Deadlines: RD Rolling (priority December 1)
Test Policy
Test-optional
You choose whether to send scores. A strong score helps your case; a weak one is better left off.
Demonstrated Interest
Considered
Considered, not formally logged. A specific 'Why us' is the lever that matters.
Interview
Optional
Yield Rate
27%
Only 27% of admits choose to enroll. The waitlist moves more than you'd think; if you land on it, make your interest loud.
Want the strongest possible application to Loyola Chicago, plus better odds and merit offers everywhere else you apply?
Join the free one-hour workshop from two Harvard grads who have helped 3,000+ students get in. Parents welcome.
Cost & Financial Aid at Loyola Chicago
$66,800
Sticker Price
$18,500
Avg Merit Aid
Need-aware admissions. Meets 100% of demonstrated need. 94% receive financial aid.
What you get for it: Loyola Chicago spends about $18,500 per student per year on instruction and student resources, well above the $15K national average.
What Loyola Chicago Graduates Get
$56,000
Avg Starting Salary
95%
Employed or in Grad School
66%
Graduate in 4 Years
The 4-year number is the on-time rate; the 6-year rate (73%) is the one schools usually advertise. A wide gap means many students pay for extra semesters.
Loyola Chicago Campus & Culture
The Campus
Loyola's Lake Shore Campus runs along the shore of Lake Michigan in Rogers Park, with the Gentile Arena and the Madonna della Strada Chapel framing lakefront views. Cudahy Library and Mundelein Center (a 1930 Art Deco tower) anchor the north end. The Water Tower Campus sits on Michigan Avenue in the Gold Coast, housing the business and law schools in the heart of downtown Chicago.
The Social Scene
Chicago urban access, Jesuit community focus, blend of city life and campus
Loyola Chicago Traditions & Trivia
Midnight Bike Ride
Since 1989, history professor Timothy Gilfoyle has led students on an overnight guided bike ride through Chicago, departing from Madonna della Strada Chapel at 9 p.m. and returning to campus around 6 a.m. after visiting historic sites across the city.
New Student Convocation L
More than 3,000 incoming students gather on the East Quad and physically form the shape of the Loyola L before walking through the Cudahy Library doors together.
Academics at Loyola Chicago
What Loyola Chicago is known for
Jesuit education, Chicago location, business and communications programs
Most popular majors at Loyola Chicago
Standout programs
Business, Communications, Health Sciences, Psychology
How the curriculum works
Core curriculum (36 credits), major (36-54), electives
Recommended high school courses
4 years English, 3-4 Math, 3-4 Science, 3 Social Studies, 2 Foreign Language
Notable Loyola Chicago Alumni
Bob Newhart
Comedian and sitcom star, class of 1952
Susan Conley
Award-winning memoirist and novelist
Heather Headley
Tony Award-winning actress for 'Aida,' attended Loyola
Robert Galvin
Former CEO of Motorola, Loyola undergraduate
If you like Loyola Chicago, also consider
Boston College
Stronger Jesuit brand with similar academics, different city
Marquette University
Same Jesuit mission in Milwaukee, stronger basketball culture
DePauw University
Smaller liberal arts alternative in the Midwest with strong mentorship
Fordham University
Jesuit education in New York City with comparable urban access
Georgetown University
Top-tier Jesuit school for students who can compete at a higher selectivity level