Head-to-head · 49 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 76% chose CUBoulder. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 49 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 CUBoulder
Median scholarship (chose CUBoulder)
Median scholarship (chose DU)
View all-time (114 cross-admits)
Trend · CUBoulder's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
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
Overview
About CUBoulder vs DU
Across 49 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 76% enrolled at University of Colorado—Boulder and 24% at University of Denver. The split has shifted +28 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 University of Colorado—Boulder and University of Denver across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 49 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 49 applicants admitted to both schools, 76% chose to attend University of Colorado—Boulder. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Colorado—Boulder is ranked #54 compared to #91 — a gap of 37 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of Colorado—Boulder has a median LSAT of 164 compared to 160, a gap of 4 points. This suggests applicants to University of Colorado—Boulder face a more competitive admissions pool.
Both schools are located in Colorado — University of Colorado—Boulder in Boulder and University of Denver in Denver — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
On cost, University of Colorado—Boulder has lower tuition at $35,992 per year compared to $63,390. Combined with employment rates of 89.9% (CUBoulder) and 82.3% (DU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Denver offered a median scholarship of $105,000 compared to $51,000, a difference of $54,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.