Head-to-head · 35 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 94% chose CLS. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 35 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 USC)
View all-time (138 cross-admits)
Trend · CLS'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 CLS vs USC
Across 35 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 94% enrolled at Columbia University and 6% at University of Southern California. The split has shifted -8 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 University of Southern California across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 35 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 35 applicants admitted to both schools, 94% chose to attend Columbia University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Columbia University is ranked #9 compared to #26 — a gap of 17 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Columbia University has a median LSAT of 173 compared to 169, a gap of 4 points. This suggests applicants to Columbia University face a more competitive admissions pool.
Columbia University is located in New York City, New York, while University of Southern California is in Los Angeles, California. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Columbia University places 70.1% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 58.6% for the other school. This 11 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Southern California offered a median scholarship of $180,000 compared to $85,000, a difference of $95,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
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