Cornell University vs University of California—Berkeley

This page compares Cornell University and University of California—Berkeley across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 30 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 30 applicants admitted to both schools, 77% chose to attend University of California—Berkeley. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.

In the U.S. News rankings, University of California—Berkeley is ranked #13 compared to #18 — a gap of 5 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York, while University of California—Berkeley is in Berkeley, California. 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 52.2% for the other school. This 20 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.

On cost, University of California—Berkeley has lower tuition at $62,532 per year compared to $84,722. Combined with employment rates of 98.0% (Cornell University) and 93.6% (UCBerkeley), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.