🎯 Parent/student verdict

Likely

Accessible for most applicants.

✅ Best for

  • Solid academic profile (SAT 1160–1340 · ACT 27–31 middle 50% + typically a 3.7+ unweighted GPA in rigorous coursework)
  • Students drawn to Business, Management, & Marketing or Health Professions (the two biggest majors)
  • Research-curious students (R2 — active research output)

🎯 The reality

  • Bottom-quartile academic profile if: SAT below 1160, or ACT below 27, or unweighted GPA below ~3.50 (admitted-class quartiles; GPA floor is a calibrated heuristic where CDS not yet on file)

Verdict is composed from this college's structured data (admit rate, SAT bands, net price by income, Carnegie classification, scholarship grids) using transparent rule thresholds — not a chat-bot's opinion.

🏛️ Institutional snapshot

What kind of college is this?

Carnegie classification
R2: Doctoral - High Research Activity
Total enrollment
11,737
10,000 - 19,999
In-state tuition
$53,710
sticker, before aid
Tuition
$53,710
flat rate (no in/out-of-state split)
Admit rate
81.4%
Accepts the majority
SAT middle 50%
1160–1340
EBRW + Math composite
ACT middle 50%
27–31
composite
Test policy
Test-optional
2023
10-yr earnings
$71,530
median, after entry

Source: federal IPEDS Admissions 2023 for scores + admit rate; federal College Scorecard (20260606 vintage) for earnings + outcomes. SAT/ACT bands are the 25th–75th percentile of enrolled submitters.

📊 Outcomes & cost

What graduates actually earn, finish, and owe.

Federal College Scorecard data. Earnings are median annual income measured years after entering. Debt is for federal-aid borrowers only (cash-pay students aren't counted).

Earnings, 6 yrs after entry
$58,411
Earnings, 10 yrs after entry
$71,530
4-year completion
73%
Median debt (completers)
$24,157
Cost of attendance
$67,408
sticker price, not net
Pell-eligible students
24%

💰 True ROI

5.0× return

What families actually pay (after aid) vs. the sticker — and how 10-yr earnings stack against the real cost. Most sites quote sticker; we quote what families really pay.

What families actually pay (4 yrs)
$144,316
$36,079/yr avg net
Aid that hides behind the sticker
$125,316
vs sticker $269,632
10-yr earnings total
$715,300
$71,530/yr median, 10 yrs out
Years to recoup actual cost
2.0 yrs
at the median earnings rate

"True ROI" = (10-yr median earnings × 10) ÷ (actual 4-yr net price). The actual net is from Scorecard (average across all families); your family's net price will vary by income — see the breakdown above. Earnings are 10 years after enrollment (Scorecard PP-FOS, all majors combined).

💰 What families actually pay

Net price by family income

Net price = sticker price minus grant aid. This is what families actually pay out-of-pocket after scholarships and need-based aid — the most honest affordability signal there is. At Loyola University Chicago, the average net price is $36,079/yr across all families.

Family income $0-30k
$28,992/yr
Family income $30-48k
$28,663/yr
Family income $48-75k
$32,432/yr
Family income $75-110k
$36,853/yr
Family income $110k+
$42,346/yr

🔎 Earning over $110K? The federal brackets above lump every family from $110K to $1M+ into one row.

Need-based aid usually phases out somewhere between $200K and $300K at private colleges — but the exact threshold varies a lot. For a precise estimate based on your family's actual income, assets, and your student's academic profile, use Loyola University Chicago's official Net Price Calculator:

Get your family's estimate from Loyola University Chicago →

Opens on Loyola University Chicago's site. Takes about 10–15 minutes; have your most recent tax return handy.

Source: College Scorecard (NPT41-NPT45). Net price = total cost of attendance minus federal, state, institutional, and other grants. Some brackets may be suppressed for student-privacy reasons (small cohorts). Title IV first-time, full-time undergraduates only. The $110K+ ceiling is a federal data limitation — Department of Education hasn't refreshed these brackets since the early 2010s.

📚 What students study here

Most popular majors at Loyola University Chicago

Top 5 fields of study by bachelor's degrees awarded (most recent IPEDS Completions). Use this to see what Loyola University Chicago actually graduates — not just what it markets.

1. Business, Management, & Marketing
557 degrees · 28.6%
Typical career outcomes
Financial Analyst $100k Management Analyst (Consultant) $99k Marketing Manager $158k Accountant / Auditor $80k
Broad set of corporate roles. Finance + consulting pay top, accounting + HR pay middle, sales spread is wide.
2. Health Professions
484 degrees · 24.8%
Typical career outcomes
Registered Nurse $86k Physician Assistant $130k Pharmacist $136k Physical Therapist (post-DPT) $100k
Highest-paying group on this list, but most careers require additional training beyond a 4-year degree.
3. Biological & Biomedical Sciences
408 degrees · 20.9%
Typical career outcomes
Biological Scientist $87k Medical & Clinical Lab Tech $61k Pharmaceutical Rep $82k Physician (post-MD) $239k
Many bio majors → med school / grad school. Direct-employment bio roles are lower-paid than that pipeline.
4. Psychology
270 degrees · 13.9%
Typical career outcomes
HR Specialist $68k Market Research Analyst $75k Clinical Psychologist (post-PhD) $93k Social Worker $58k
Most undergrad psych grads go into non-clinical roles. Clinical/counseling psych requires a master's or doctoral.
5. Communication, Journalism, & Related
229 degrees · 11.8%
Typical career outcomes
Public Relations Specialist $67k Marketing Manager $158k Writer / Editor $75k Reporter / Journalist $58k
Media, PR, marketing communications. Salary spread is wide.

Source: IPEDS Completions (C2023_a), bachelor's-level first majors aggregated to 2-digit CIP family. Share is of these top 5 only — not all majors.

💼 Top programs by earnings

Highest-earning majors at Loyola University Chicago

Median earnings 4 years after entry, by major (CIP code). From the federal College Scorecard program-level outcomes.

Major (CIP) Credential Cohort 1-yr earnings 4-yr earnings
Management Information Systems and Services. Bachelor's Degree 86 $67,801 $103,884
Computer and Information Sciences, General. Bachelor's Degree 49 $68,950 $99,112
Accounting and Related Services. Bachelor's Degree 72 $69,965 $97,667
Computer Engineering. Bachelor's Degree 12 $68,020 $97,158
Business Administration, Management and Operations. Bachelor's Degree 121 $64,513 $89,745
Finance and Financial Management Services. Bachelor's Degree 146 $66,919 $89,001
Registered Nursing, Nursing Administration, Nursing Research and Clinical Nursing. Bachelor's Degree 415 $76,869 $87,922
International Business. Bachelor's Degree 33 $55,496 $87,698
Marketing. Bachelor's Degree 170 $51,065 $86,662
Human Resources Management and Services. Bachelor's Degree 22 $86,190

For full college-vs-major comparison + ROI leaderboards, see /college-outcomes →

🤖 AI program signal

AI + computing education at Loyola University Chicago

CS degrees (annual)
40
CIP 11.0701 + 11.0101

Full multi-lens comparison: /ai-colleges →

⚖️ Compare side-by-side

Loyola University Chicago vs. another college

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