Head-to-head · 30 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 77% chose NUSL. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 30 self-reported decisions and ABA 509 filings.
Choice, not ranking
These are decisions, not opinions. Scholarship offers, location, intended practice, and personal fit are all priced into the split.
Cross-admit decision
Chose NUSL
Median scholarship (chose NUSL)
Median scholarship (chose AU)
View all-time (62 cross-admits)
Trend · NUSL's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2026 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2026 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2025 ABA Employment
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About NUSL vs AU
Across 30 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 77% enrolled at Northeastern University and 23% at American University. The split has shifted +23 points across the tracked cycles.
These numbers reflect every factor that goes into a real decision: scholarship offers, geographic preference, intended practice area, and fit. Choosing one school doesn't mean it's "better" — it means the pool of cross-admits, weighing their options, ended up there more often. Pair this with the scholarship distribution and employment outcomes above for full context.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Northeastern University and American University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 30 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 30 applicants admitted to both schools, 77% chose to attend Northeastern University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Northeastern University is ranked #77 compared to #108 — a gap of 31 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Northeastern University is located in Boston, Massachusetts, while American University is in Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
Among cross-admitted applicants, American University offered a median scholarship of $120,000 compared to $105,000, a difference of $15,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.