Head-to-head · 16 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 63% chose UofI. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 16 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 UofI
Median scholarship (chose UofI)
Median scholarship (chose CUBoulder)
View all-time (38 cross-admits)
Trend · UofI'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 UofI vs CUBoulder
Across 16 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 63% enrolled at University of Iowa and 37% at University of Colorado—Boulder. The split has shifted +29 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 Iowa and University of Colorado—Boulder across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Iowa is ranked #32 compared to #54 — a gap of 22 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
University of Colorado—Boulder is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 27.6% compared to University of Iowa's 44.3%.
University of Iowa is located in Iowa City, Iowa, while University of Colorado—Boulder is in Boulder, Colorado. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
On cost, University of Iowa has lower tuition at $30,944 per year compared to $35,992. Combined with employment rates of 93.8% (UofI) and 89.9% (CUBoulder), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Iowa offered a median scholarship of $118,783 compared to $50,000, a difference of $68,783 that may factor into enrollment decisions.