Head-to-head · 20 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose UVA. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 20 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 UVA
Median scholarship (chose UVA)
Median scholarship (chose GMU)
View all-time (62 cross-admits)
Trend · UVA's share
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2025 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2024 ABA Employment
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About UVA vs GMU
Across 20 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at University of Virginia and 0% at George Mason University.
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 University of Virginia and George Mason University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 20 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 20 applicants admitted to both schools, 100% chose to attend University of Virginia. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Virginia is ranked #4 compared to #32 — a gap of 28 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of Virginia has a median LSAT of 173 compared to 169, a gap of 4 points. This suggests applicants to University of Virginia face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of Virginia is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 10.2% compared to George Mason University's 15.9%.
Both schools are located in Virginia — University of Virginia in Charlottesville and George Mason University in Fairfax — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of Virginia places 60.2% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 11.0% for the other school. This 49 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, George Mason University has lower tuition at $24,864 per year compared to $74,078. Combined with employment rates of 95.3% (UVA) and 93.6% (GMU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.