Head-to-head · 11 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose USD. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 11 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 USD
Median scholarship (chose USD)
Median scholarship (chose California Western)
View all-time (38 cross-admits)
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
Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles
48
University of California (Hastings)
43
University of California—Davis
30
University of California—Los Angeles
25
Chapman University
24
University of San Diego
11
Overview
About USD vs California Western
Across 11 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at University of San Diego and 0% at California Western School Of Law.
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 University of San Diego and California Western School Of Law across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of San Diego has a median LSAT of 163 compared to 155, a gap of 8 points. This suggests applicants to University of San Diego face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of San Diego is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 23.5% compared to California Western School Of Law's 46.9%.
Both schools are located in California — University of San Diego in San Diego and California Western School Of Law in San Diego — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of San Diego places 13.3% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 0.9% for the other school. This 12 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, California Western School Of Law offered a median scholarship of $157,500 compared to $93,750, a difference of $63,750 that may factor into enrollment decisions.