Duke University vs University of California—Berkeley

This page compares Duke University and University of California—Berkeley 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, 63% 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, Duke University is ranked #6 compared to #13 — a gap of 7 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina, 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: Duke University places 67.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 52.2% for the other school. This 16 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 $80,100. Combined with employment rates of 98.2% (Duke) and 93.6% (UCBerkeley), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.