Head-to-head · 33 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 67% chose UMD. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 33 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 AU
Median scholarship (chose AU)
Median scholarship (chose UMD)
View all-time (81 cross-admits)
Trend · AU's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price and scholarship aid 2025 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 AU vs UMD
Across 33 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 33% enrolled at American University and 67% at University of Maryland. The split has shifted +19 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 American University and University of Maryland across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 33 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 33 applicants admitted to both schools, 67% chose to attend University of Maryland. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Maryland is ranked #62 compared to #108 — a gap of 46 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
American University is located in Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., while University of Maryland is in Baltimore, Maryland. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
On cost, University of Maryland has lower tuition at $37,830 per year compared to $66,990. Combined with employment rates of 85.0% (AU) and 91.8% (UMD), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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