Chicago State University acceptance rate and your odds of getting in
Chicago State University, a public university in Illinois, reports a 43% acceptance rate and sits in the selective band. In practice that means it admits a minority of applicants, so a strong application is judged against an applicant pool that is already self-selected.
Use this page to see what Chicago State University weighs, where it ranks among Illinois schools, and how a profile like yours is likely to land. Admitted students post a 75th-percentile SAT around 980, a useful checkpoint for where your scores sit, though it is a reference range and not a cutoff.
What do students study at Chicago State University?
Bachelor's degrees awarded by field in 2023 (IPEDS completions). Each field has its own page with the school's numbers, the model's major adjustment, and peers offering it.
Will I get into Chicago State University?
Direct answers to what applicants ask about getting into Chicago State University, plus a free way to calculate your own odds.
What are my chances of getting into Chicago State University?
Your odds at Chicago State University are not the same as its 43% acceptance rate. Your real odds depend on how your GPA, course rigor, test scores, and activities compare to its admitted students. Run your profile through the free CollegeCalcAI calculator to get a personalized acceptance percentage for Chicago State University in about three minutes, with no account needed to start.
Is Chicago State University hard to get into?
Chicago State University is selective: it admits a minority of applicants, with about a 43% acceptance rate. A solid academic record puts you in good position, and the rest of your profile can tip the result either way.
What GPA do you need to get into Chicago State University?
There is no hard GPA cutoff at Chicago State University, but admitted students commonly present roughly a 3.5 to 3.9 GPA. Chicago State University reads your GPA alongside the rigor of your courses, so a challenging schedule matters as much as the number itself.
What SAT score do you need for Chicago State University?
Chicago State University does not publish a required score, but the admitted-student 75th-percentile SAT is around 980. A score at or above that range strengthens your application, while a lower score puts more weight on your rigor, activities, and essays. CollegeCalcAI shows how your exact score shifts your odds at Chicago State University.
Your chances at Chicago State University by GPA and SAT
Estimated chance of admission at Chicago State University for plain profiles, from the same model as the calculator. Unweighted GPA, 3 AP courses, Regular Decision, no legacy, athletic or first-generation hook. The last column is test-optional (no score sent).
What are my chances at Chicago State University with a 3.5 GPA and a 920 SAT?
About 62% (Likely), by CollegeCalcAI's deterministic model, for an applicant with a 3.5 unweighted GPA and a 920 SAT, the middle of Chicago State University's admitted range, applying Regular Decision without a hook. A 3.8 GPA with a 980 SAT comes out near 79%. Courses, activities, essays and the application round move the number; the free calculator includes them.
Estimates, not guarantees. Get yours with your real courses and activities. Assistants and developers can fetch this table from the free API: /api/v1/colleges/chicago-state-university.
How to get into Chicago State University
Built from Chicago State University's admitted class and what it reports weighing. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled figures, not published cutoffs.
There is no formula that guarantees a spot at Chicago State University, but the applicants who get in tend to do the same four things. Here is what the numbers say each one looks like.
CollegeCalcAI's modeled typical admit at Chicago State University carries about a 3.53 core GPA and a 930 SAT, in the most rigorous schedule available. Meeting it puts you in the admitted range for most applicants.
Chicago State University rates rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores highest in its own Common Data Set. Put your depth there: and a transcript whose rigor rises through junior year.
Most public universities read early applicants first without a binding commitment. Apply by Chicago State University's early or priority deadline (confirm dates at www.csu.edu), and if you are out of state, know that residency changes both the bar and the price.
How many students apply to Chicago State University, and how many get in?
Chicago State University admitted 3,832 of the 9,458 students who applied for fall 2023, which works out to 40.5%. 223 enrolled. Only about 6% of admitted students enrolled, so the school admits several students for every seat it expects to fill, which is why its acceptance rate reads higher than its selectivity feels. Chicago State University enrolls about 1,384 undergraduates in total, 70% of them women, with a student-to-faculty ratio of 9 to 1.
Source: U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS 2023 admissions and enrollment.
What SAT and ACT scores do you need for Chicago State University?
Chicago State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores, so admission turns on your transcript, rigor, and the rest of the file.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10.
What Chicago State University looks for
What Chicago State University weighs most heavily in its admissions review, informed by its reported Common Data Set.
The factors that carry the most weight at Chicago State University are rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores. Solid grades in a challenging schedule do most of the work here, with the rest of the application providing context. These ratings come from Chicago State University's reported Common Data Set, so the full chart below reflects what the school itself says it values, not a generic guess.
SAT score positioning at Chicago State University
How common SAT scores sit relative to the admitted middle. This is context, not a probability. Your full profile determines the real estimate.
How much does Chicago State University cost after financial aid?
Chicago State University's published cost of attendance, before any aid, is roughly $29,764 per year. Tuition and fees alone are $12,754. What families actually pay is different: the average net price after grants and scholarships is $12,335 a year, and it ranges from $9,073 for families earning under $30,000 to $28,427 for families earning over $110,000. 58% of undergraduates receive a federal Pell Grant.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Net price is what students receiving aid paid after grants, by family income.
What do Chicago State University graduates earn, and how many graduate?
Ten years after enrolling, the median Chicago State University student who received federal aid earns $42,778 a year, up from $33,805 at six years. 15% of first-time, full-time students graduate within six years, and 57% return for a second year. Among graduates who borrowed, median federal debt at graduation is $30,625; 78% of undergraduates take federal loans.
Source: College Scorecard (U.S. Department of Education), release 2026-06-10. Earnings cover students who received federal aid.
How Chicago State University compares in Illinois
Chicago State University ranks #5 most selective of 37 schools in Illinois in our database.
Among the 37 Illinois schools we track, Chicago State University ranks #5 most selective by acceptance rate. Schools like University of Chicago (4%) and Northwestern University (8%) sit nearby, which makes Illinois a useful frame for calibrating a balanced list. As a public university, residency matters: in-state applicants generally see meaningfully better odds than the headline rate suggests.
Similar to Chicago State University
Schools with a similar selectivity profile, worth comparing as you build a balanced list.
Applicants targeting Chicago State University often weigh University of South Florida, NC State University, and UC Davis, which sit at a similar level. Running the same profile against each one in the free calculator is the fastest way to see where you are a reach, a match, or a likely.
Frequently asked questions
What is Chicago State University's acceptance rate?
Chicago State University admitted 3,832 of 9,458 applicants for the fall 2023 entering class, an acceptance rate of 40.5% (U.S. Department of Education, IPEDS). 6% of admitted students enrolled.
Is Chicago State University test-optional?
Chicago State University reports that it neither requires nor recommends test scores.
How much does Chicago State University cost after financial aid?
The average net price at Chicago State University, what students receiving aid paid after grants and scholarships, is $12,335 a year against a sticker price of about $29,764. Families earning under $30,000 paid about $9,073 on average.
What do Chicago State University graduates earn?
Median earnings ten years after entering Chicago State University are $42,778 a year among students who received federal aid, and 15% of students graduate within six years (College Scorecard).
What does Chicago State University value most in applicants?
Based on its admissions profile, Chicago State University weighs rigor of secondary school record, academic GPA, and standardized test scores most heavily. The full factor breakdown is on this page.
Does Chicago State University favor in-state applicants?
As a public university, Chicago State University generally admits in-state applicants at a higher rate than out-of-state applicants, so your home state affects your odds. CollegeCalcAI applies an in-state residency boost when you select your state.
How can I improve my chances at Chicago State University?
Focus on the highest-leverage parts of your application: course rigor and GPA trajectory first, then test scores, then a focused leadership or activity spike. CollegeCalcAI's Power-Ups quantify how much each change would move your odds at Chicago State University specifically.
Is Chicago State University a target or a reach for an average applicant?
For an applicant whose GPA and scores sit near Chicago State University's admitted range, it generally reads as a target rather than a reach. Run your exact profile through the free calculator to see your personal verdict.
Acceptance rate, application counts, admitted test ranges, cost, and outcomes reflect publicly reported federal data (U.S. Department of Education: IPEDS 2023 and the College Scorecard) and each school's Common Data Set; figures are rounded and lag the current cycle by one to two years, so confirm deadlines and policies on the school's own site. The typical-admit GPA and SAT are CollegeCalcAI's modeled estimates. Estimates from CollegeCalcAI are a planning tool computed by a fixed, transparent model, not a guarantee of any admission decision.