Head-to-head · 15 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 53% chose CUNY. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 15 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 CUNY
Median scholarship (chose CUNY)
Median scholarship (chose NYLS)
View all-time (28 cross-admits)
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2025 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2024 ABA Employment
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Overview
About CUNY vs NYLS
Across 15 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 53% enrolled at CUNY and 47% at New York Law School.
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 CUNY and New York Law School across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, New York Law School is ranked #112 compared to #171 — a gap of 59 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Both schools are located in New York — CUNY in Queens and New York Law School in New York City — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: New York Law School places 13.0% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 2.3% for the other school. This 11 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, CUNY has lower tuition at $15,450 per year compared to $71,052. Combined with employment rates of 75.1% (CUNY) and 91.6% (NYLS), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, New York Law School offered a median scholarship of $139,500 compared to $24,000, a difference of $115,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.