Head-to-head · 17 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 94% chose UCHastings. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 17 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 Chapman University
Median scholarship (chose Chapman University)
Median scholarship (chose UCHastings)
View all-time (34 cross-admits)
Trend · Chapman University'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 Chapman University vs UCHastings
Across 17 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 6% enrolled at Chapman University and 94% at University of California (Hastings).
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 Chapman University and University of California (Hastings) across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of California (Hastings) is ranked #85 compared to #112 — a gap of 27 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Both schools are located in California — Chapman University in Orange and University of California (Hastings) in San Francisco — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of California (Hastings) places 22.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 10.0% for the other school. This 13 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, University of California (Hastings) has lower tuition at $53,087 per year compared to $63,126. Combined with employment rates of 86.2% (Chapman University) and 94.9% (UCHastings), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Chapman University offered a median scholarship of $177,000 compared to $75,000, a difference of $102,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
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