Head-to-head · 64 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 95% chose NYU. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 64 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 NYU)
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Trend · BU's share
Lowest cycle
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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 BU vs NYU
Across 64 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 5% enrolled at Boston University and 95% at New York University. The split has shifted -14 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 New York University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 64 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 64 applicants admitted to both schools, 95% chose to attend New York University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, New York University is ranked #7 compared to #24 — a gap of 17 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Boston University is located in Boston, Massachusetts, while New York University is in New York City, 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: New York University places 62.1% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 41.1% for the other school. This 21 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Boston University has lower tuition at $69,870 per year compared to $83,952. Combined with employment rates of 95.8% (BU) and 99.3% (NYU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Boston University offered a median scholarship of $154,500 compared to $60,000, a difference of $94,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
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