Head-to-head · 20 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose BU. 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 BU
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (37 cross-admits)
Trend · BU's share
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 Suffolk University
Across 20 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at Boston University and 0% at Suffolk 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 Boston University and Suffolk 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 Boston University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Boston University is ranked #24 compared to #128 — a gap of 104 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Boston University has a median LSAT of 170 compared to 155, a gap of 15 points. This suggests applicants to Boston University face a more competitive admissions pool.
Boston University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 12.1% compared to Suffolk University's 61.9%.
Both schools are located in Massachusetts — Boston University in Boston and Suffolk University in Boston — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Boston University places 41.1% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 9.2% for the other school. This 32 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Suffolk University has lower tuition at $62,610 per year compared to $69,870. Combined with employment rates of 95.8% (BU) and 88.8% (Suffolk University), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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