Head-to-head · 42 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 95% chose Cornell University. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 42 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 Cornell University
Median scholarship (chose Cornell University)
Median scholarship (chose BU)
View all-time (143 cross-admits)
Trend · Cornell University'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
Harvard University
138
Columbia University
96
University of Pennsylvania
72
Georgetown University
66
University of Michigan
65
Overview
About Cornell University vs BU
Across 42 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 95% enrolled at Cornell University and 5% at Boston University. The split has shifted +17 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.
Looking at a different matchup? Browse all comparisons or run a custom pair from the index.
Compare another pair
Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Cornell University and Boston University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 42 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 42 applicants admitted to both schools, 95% chose to attend Cornell University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Cornell University is ranked #13 compared to #24 — a gap of 11 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Boston University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 12.1% compared to Cornell University's 18.2%.
Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York, while Boston University is in Boston, Massachusetts. 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: Cornell University places 71.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 35.7% for the other school. This 36 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Boston University has lower tuition at $69,870 per year compared to $84,722. Combined with employment rates of 98.0% (Cornell University) and 91.2% (BU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Boston University offered a median scholarship of $177,500 compared to $120,000, a difference of $57,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.