Head-to-head · 20 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose Duke. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 20 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 Duke
Median scholarship (chose Duke)
Median scholarship (chose Emory University)
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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
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
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Overview
About Duke vs Emory University
Across 20 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at Duke University and 0% at Emory University.
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 Duke University and Emory University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 20 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 20 applicants admitted to both schools, 100% chose to attend Duke University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Duke University is ranked #7 compared to #40 — a gap of 33 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Duke University has a median LSAT of 171 compared to 166, a gap of 5 points. This suggests applicants to Duke University face a more competitive admissions pool.
Duke University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 12.9% compared to Emory University's 30.1%.
Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina, while Emory University is in Atlanta, Georgia. 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: Duke University places 67.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 33.7% for the other school. This 34 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Emory University has lower tuition at $69,510 per year compared to $80,100. Combined with employment rates of 98.2% (Duke) and 92.0% (Emory University), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Emory University offered a median scholarship of $154,500 compared to $75,000, a difference of $79,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.