Head-to-head · 29 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 52% chose UCD. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 29 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 UCD)
View all-time (51 cross-admits)
Trend · CUBoulder's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
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 CUBoulder vs UCD
Across 29 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 48% enrolled at University of Colorado—Boulder and 52% at University of California—Davis. The split has shifted -4 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.
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 Colorado—Boulder and University of California—Davis across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 29 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 29 applicants admitted to both schools, 52% chose to attend University of California—Davis. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
Both schools are closely ranked in U.S. News: #52 and #54, separated by just 2 positions, making cross-admit data especially useful for deciding between them.
University of California—Davis is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 16.0% compared to University of Colorado—Boulder's 27.6%.
University of Colorado—Boulder is located in Boulder, Colorado, while University of California—Davis is in Davis, California. 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 Colorado—Boulder has lower tuition at $35,992 per year compared to $57,460. Combined with employment rates of 98.1% (CUBoulder) and 95.6% (UCD), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of California—Davis offered a median scholarship of $105,000 compared to $55,109, a difference of $49,891 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
Your study break just got better: follow @lawschooldata on Follow @lawschooldata on TikTok & Instagram