Head-to-head · 65 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 89% chose UVA. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 65 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 UVA
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (209 cross-admits)
Trend · UVA'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
135
Georgetown University
121
New York University
77
George Washington University
75
Vanderbilt University
74
Harvard University
111
Columbia University
81
University of Pennsylvania
63
University of Virginia
54
New York University
52
Overview
About UVA vs Cornell University
Across 65 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 89% enrolled at University of Virginia and 11% at Cornell University. The split has shifted -12 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 University of Virginia and Cornell University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 65 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 65 applicants admitted to both schools, 89% chose to attend University of Virginia. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Virginia is ranked #4 compared to #13 — a gap of 9 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
University of Virginia is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 10.2% compared to Cornell University's 18.2%.
University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, 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.
On cost, University of Virginia has lower tuition at $74,078 per year compared to $84,722. Combined with employment rates of 98.7% (UVA) and 99.5% (Cornell University), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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