Head-to-head · 76 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 93% chose CLS. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 76 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 CLS
Median scholarship (chose CLS)
Median scholarship (chose NU)
View all-time (279 cross-admits)
Trend · CLS'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 CLS vs NU
Across 76 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 93% enrolled at Columbia University and 7% at Northwestern University. The split has shifted +2 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 Columbia University and Northwestern University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 76 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 76 applicants admitted to both schools, 93% chose to attend Columbia University. 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: #9 and #9, separated by just 0 positions, making cross-admit data especially useful for deciding between them.
Columbia University is located in New York City, New York, while Northwestern University is in Evanston, Illinois. 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, Northwestern University has lower tuition at $79,772 per year compared to $85,368. Combined with employment rates of 95.6% (CLS) and 95.6% (NU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.