Head-to-head · 23 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose Cornell University. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 23 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 Cornell University
Median scholarship (chose Cornell University)
Median scholarship (chose Fordham)
View all-time (80 cross-admits)
Trend · Cornell University'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
138
Columbia University
96
University of Pennsylvania
72
Georgetown University
66
University of Michigan
65
Overview
About Cornell University vs Fordham
Across 23 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at Cornell University and 0% at Fordham University.
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 Cornell University and Fordham University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 23 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 23 applicants admitted to both schools, 100% chose to attend Cornell University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Cornell University is ranked #13 compared to #42 — a gap of 29 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Cornell University has a median LSAT of 173 compared to 168, a gap of 5 points. This suggests applicants to Cornell University face a more competitive admissions pool.
Both schools are located in New York — Cornell University in Ithaca and Fordham University in Bronx — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Cornell University places 71.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 42.2% for the other school. This 30 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Fordham University has lower tuition at $78,078 per year compared to $84,722. Combined with employment rates of 98.0% (Cornell University) and 94.9% (Fordham), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.