Financial Aid

University of Chicago Merit Scholarships and Financial Aid

University of Chicago gave merit aid averaging $16,333 to 57 first-year students who had no financial need, about 5% of the freshmen without need.

Merit aid

Scholarships University of Chicago gave to first-year students who had no financial need.

Average merit award

$16,333

Freshmen who got one

of 1,786 in the class

Share of those without need

who received merit aid

Need-based aid

For first-year students the college found to have financial need.

Average need-based grant

$78,651

Average percent of need met

100%

Freshmen with need

37%

652 students

The average total aid package, which can include loans and work-study, was $84,555.

How to read these numbers

Merit aid is awarded for grades, scores, or talent. Need-based aid is awarded for family finances. A student can receive both.
The merit figures count only students with no financial need, so they show what a family that will not qualify for need-based aid can expect.
A grant does not have to be repaid. A package can include loans, which do.

Email me University of Chicago's aid numbers

A link to this page, plus the merit aid comparison for every college we track.

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Frequently asked questions

Does University of Chicago give merit scholarships?

University of Chicago gave merit aid averaging $16,333 to 57 first-year students who had no financial need, about 5% of the freshmen without need.

How much is the average merit scholarship at University of Chicago?

$16,333 for first-year students without financial need, according to University of Chicago's 2025-26 Common Data Set. That is an average across everyone who got an award, so individual offers run higher and lower.

Does University of Chicago meet full financial need?

University of Chicago reports meeting 100% of need on average for first-year students who were awarded need-based aid.

What share of University of Chicago freshmen have financial need?

652 of 1,786 first-time, full-time freshmen, or 37%, were found to have financial need.

Source: University of Chicago’s own Common Data Set 2025-26, Section H, for first-time, full-time freshmen. Last checked 2026-10-08. These are averages for one entering class, and some colleges report the prior year’s class in this section. Your own offer depends on your family’s finances and your application.