Head-to-head · 47 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 81% chose Duke. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 47 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 Duke
Median scholarship (chose Duke)
Median scholarship (chose Cornell University)
View all-time (199 cross-admits)
Trend · Duke'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
Harvard University
162
New York University
85
University of Michigan
83
Georgetown University
79
Yale University
67
Harvard University
135
Columbia University
89
University of Pennsylvania
71
Georgetown University
66
University of Michigan
63
Overview
About Duke vs Cornell University
Across 47 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 81% enrolled at Duke University and 19% at Cornell University. The split has shifted -17 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 Duke University and Cornell University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 47 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 47 applicants admitted to both schools, 81% chose to attend Duke University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Duke University is ranked #7 compared to #13 — a gap of 6 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina, while Cornell University is in Ithaca, New York. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.