how to get into loyola university chicago: sat and act scores, gpa and more

if a school with a huge number of undergrad programs (80) and international campuses (rome, beijing, and ho chi minh city) appeals to you, you’ll find what you’re looking for at loyola university chicago. part of the group of jesuit colleges in the united states, loyola is among the largest catholic universities in the country.

from its celebrated pre-professional programs to its six chicago campuses, there’s a lot to love about the school. in this post, we’ll look at how to get into loyola university chicago: loyola university chicago sat scores, loyola university chicago act scores, and loyola university chicago admissions.

speaking of loyola university chicago admissions, let’s start off with a rundown of the basic stats!

loyola university chicago at a glance

loyola university chicago sat scores (middle 50%)	1120-1310
loyola university chicago act scores (middle 50%)	25-30
loyola university chicago admissions rate	68%
loyola university chicago gpa average	3.78

loyola university chicago sat scores

so how do students admitted to loyola do on the sat? as you can see above, the middle 50% of loyola university chicago sat scores fall between 1120 and 1310. definitely above average (which hovers around a composite, or overall, score of 1000). here’s a more detailed breakdown of loyola university chicago sat scores.

math	550-650
evidence-based reading and writing	570-660

what inferences can we make from this table? first of all, notice that the loyola university chicago sat scores are pretty similar in math and evidence-based reading and writing. this shows that loyola’s interested in students who are strong across different sat sections. the ranges are also similar in size (a 100-point spread in math and a 90-point spread in evidence-based reading and writing), which also emphasizes this point.

does it matter if your sectional scores are a few points apart? probably not. however, if you have a wide gap in your sectional scores, you might consider re-taking the exam and focusing on your lower-scoring section. loyola university chicago sat scores are achievable, but it may take some time to bring your scores up to their 50th percentile.

if you don’t have time to retake the exam, remember that 25% of admitted students scored below 1120. no matter what, it’s important that the rest of your application really shines, particularly if you’re making up for test scores below the loyola university chicago sat scores average.

loyola university chicago act scores

loyola university chicago act scores are comparable to their sat scores. here’s the breakdown for loyola university chicago act scores in english and math.

section	25th percentile	75th percentile
english	24	32
math	23	28

what this table tells us is that 25% of admitted students had english act scores below 24, while 25% had english act scores above 32—a pretty wide range! similarly, 25% had math act scores below 23, while 25% had math act scores above 28. this shows that loyola university chicago act scores tend to be slightly stronger in english—but that an even distribution across sections is still your best bet.

loyola university chicago admissions rate

loyola university chicago admissions rate is 68%. lena n. at transizion notes that this makes it a “moderately selective school and you have a decent chance of acceptance if you meet the minimum requirements.” so make sure your gpa and test scores are competitive before you apply!

how can you increase your chances of getting accepted at loyola university chicago? lena adds the following advice:

“to gain admission, i advise that you present yourself as a well-rounded, open-minded student who has, or can, persevere for their achievements, aspirations, or beliefs. if it comes up naturally, then it would also be good to highlight your community service experiences or work for different causes, because this speaks to loyola’s emphasis on social justice issues and public service.”

in other words, don’t force it, but if public service is an important part of your life, loyola will appreciate this!

loyola university chicago gpa average

loyola university chicago average gpa ranges from 3.5 to 4.0, with an average of 3.7. 25% of admitted students have gpas below 3.5 (around an a- average), while 25% have gpas of 4.0 or higher. how is a higher gpa possible? 4.0 is, after all, the maximum in many schools. however, some schools will weight harder classes by scoring them out of 5.0, boosting students’ gpas while rewarding them for pursuing a harder curriculum (usually with ap or other advanced classes).

by the time you apply to college, it may be too late to change your gpa. if this is the case, and your gpa is well below loyola university chicago’s gpa average, keep in mind that your essays and letters of recommendation can make all the difference!

loyola university chicago freshman profile

who attends loyola university chicago? of the 2,770+ freshman in the loyola class of 2022, 39% are students of color; the entering class comes from 47 states and 57 countries. more than 99% of freshman receive financial assistance, which is pretty awesome, with an average financial aid award of $27,250.

and if you’re worried that loyola university chicago students are all roman catholic, don’t be: 61% belong to the religion, but the remaining 39% come from other faiths, including judaism, hinduism, islam, other christian denominations, and the eastern orthodox church.

faq

does loyola university chicago require act writing?

nope! loyola university chicago admissions doesn’t require sat writing, either. however, be careful: other schools you’re applying to may require the essay, and it’s pretty rough to spend a weekend morning re-taking a standardized test just so you can write an essay that you skipped the first time around…

what are loyola university chicago’s course requirements for admission?

to be considered for a spot in loyola university chicago’s freshman class, you should have taken the following:

4 years of english
3 years of math
3 years of science
3 years of social science
2 years of a foreign language