Head-to-head · 50 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 96% chose UC. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 50 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 UC)
View all-time (174 cross-admits)
Trend · Cornell University'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
Overview
About Cornell University vs UC
Across 50 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 4% enrolled at Cornell University and 96% at University of Chicago. The split has shifted -6 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.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Cornell University and University of Chicago 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 University of Chicago. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Chicago is ranked #2 compared to #13 — a gap of 11 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
University of Chicago is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 9.7% compared to Cornell University's 18.2%.
Cornell University is located in Ithaca, New York, while University of Chicago is in Chicago, Illinois. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Cornell University offered a median scholarship of $150,000 compared to $52,500, a difference of $97,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
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