Head-to-head · 138 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose HLS. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 138 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 HLS
Median scholarship (chose HLS)
Median scholarship (chose Cornell University)
View all-time (374 cross-admits)
Trend · HLS'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
New York University
303
Georgetown University
284
Columbia University
202
University of Chicago
187
Northwestern University
177
Harvard University
138
Columbia University
96
University of Pennsylvania
72
Georgetown University
66
University of Michigan
65
Overview
About HLS vs Cornell University
Across 138 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at Harvard University and 0% at Cornell 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 Harvard University and Cornell University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 138 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 138 applicants admitted to both schools, 100% chose to attend Harvard University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Harvard University is ranked #6 compared to #13 — a gap of 7 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Harvard University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 9.2% compared to Cornell University's 18.2%.
Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 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.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Cornell University places 71.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 51.4% for the other school. This 21 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Harvard University has lower tuition at $77,100 per year compared to $84,722. Combined with employment rates of 90.7% (HLS) and 98.0% (Cornell University), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Cornell University offered a median scholarship of $142,500 compared to $115,000, a difference of $27,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.