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 BU
Median scholarship (chose BU)
Median scholarship (chose Cornell University)
View all-time (143 cross-admits)
Trend · BU'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
Harvard University
102
University of Michigan
87
George Washington University
72
Georgetown University
64
New York University
64
Harvard University
140
Columbia University
100
University of Pennsylvania
72
University of Michigan
66
Georgetown University
66
Overview
About BU vs Cornell University
Across 42 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 5% enrolled at Boston University and 95% at Cornell 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.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Boston University and Cornell 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%.
Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts, while Cornell University is in Ithaca, New York. 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 56.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 41.1% for the other school. This 16 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 95.8% (BU) and 99.5% (Cornell University), 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.
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