<p>I would say that with respect to Harvard/Yale/Stanford, Chicago definitely matches UPenn’s or comes quite close. </p>
<p>Another factor for Midwesterners – state law schools are feasible (and cheap) options. If you scan the associates at major Chicago firms, you see a lot of U of Illinois, U of Iowa and U of Wisconsin graduates. If someone is interested in being involved in politics/government in a midwestern state or is sure they want to live in a particular midwestern city, it’s not clear that paying $60,000 a year for a Top 14 school on the coast makes much sense.</p>