Head-to-head · 19 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 58% chose SMU. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 19 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 SMU
Median scholarship (chose SMU)
Median scholarship (chose ASU)
View all-time (40 cross-admits)
Trend · SMU's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
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 SMU vs ASU
Across 19 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 58% enrolled at Southern Methodist University and 42% at Arizona State University. The split has shifted -40 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 Southern Methodist University and Arizona State University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
Both schools are closely ranked in U.S. News: #42 and #44, separated by just 2 positions, making cross-admit data especially useful for deciding between them.
Southern Methodist University is located in Dallas, Texas, while Arizona State University is in Tempe, Arizona. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Southern Methodist University places 27.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 11.0% for the other school. This 17 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Arizona State University has lower tuition at $28,390 per year compared to $60,844. Combined with employment rates of 97.6% (SMU) and 93.5% (ASU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.