Head-to-head · 23 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose Duke. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 23 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
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (58 cross-admits)
Trend · Duke's share
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 Duke vs UNC
Across 23 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at Duke University and 0% at University of North Carolina.
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 University of North Carolina across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 23 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 23 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 #18 — a gap of 11 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Both schools are located in North Carolina — Duke University in Durham and University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Duke University places 70.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 24.6% for the other school. This 46 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, University of North Carolina has lower tuition at $28,082 per year compared to $80,100. Combined with employment rates of 99.6% (Duke) and 97.3% (UNC), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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