Head-to-head · 50 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 96% chose SLS. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 50 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 SLS
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (108 cross-admits)
Trend · SLS'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
New York University
99
University of Chicago
79
Harvard University
77
Georgetown University
77
University of California—Berkeley
76
Harvard University
111
Columbia University
81
University of Pennsylvania
63
University of Virginia
54
New York University
52
Overview
About SLS vs Cornell University
Across 50 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 96% enrolled at Stanford University and 4% at Cornell University. The split has shifted -9 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 Stanford University and Cornell University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 50 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 50 applicants admitted to both schools, 96% chose to attend Stanford University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Stanford University is ranked #1 compared to #13 — a gap of 12 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Stanford University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 6.1% compared to Cornell University's 14.4%.
Stanford University is located in Stanford, California, 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 56.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 45.3% for the other school. This 12 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Stanford University has lower tuition at $77,454 per year compared to $87,908. Combined with employment rates of 92.1% (SLS) and 99.5% (Cornell University), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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