Head-to-head · 60 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 67% chose NU. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 60 self-reported decisions and ABA 509 filings.
* School-reported figure, not from the latest ABA 509 report.
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 NU
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (156 cross-admits)
Trend · NU'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
Harvard University
154
Washington University in St. Louis
73
Georgetown University
72
University of Pennsylvania
71
University of Virginia
70
Harvard University
111
Columbia University
81
University of Pennsylvania
63
University of Virginia
54
New York University
52
Overview
About NU vs Cornell University
Across 60 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 67% enrolled at Northwestern University and 33% at Cornell University. The split has shifted -15 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 Northwestern University and Cornell University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 60 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 60 applicants admitted to both schools, 67% chose to attend Northwestern 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 #13, separated by just 4 positions, making cross-admit data especially useful for deciding between them.
Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois, 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: Northwestern University places 67.4% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 56.9% for the other school. This 11 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Northwestern University has lower tuition at $79,772 per year compared to $87,908. Combined with employment rates of 97.3% (NU) and 99.5% (Cornell University), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants who enrolled, those choosing Northwestern University reported a higher median scholarship — $180,000 versus $150,000 over three years — though aid is one of several factors behind the enrollment decision.
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