Head-to-head · 29 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 86% chose Duke. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 29 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 WUSTL)
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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 WUSTL
Across 29 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 86% enrolled at Duke University and 14% at Washington University in St. Louis.
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 Washington University in St. Louis across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 29 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 29 applicants admitted to both schools, 86% 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 #13 — a gap of 6 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Washington University in St. Louis has a median LSAT of 175 compared to 171, a gap of 4 points. This suggests applicants to Washington University in St. Louis face a more competitive admissions pool.
Duke University is located in Durham, North Carolina, while Washington University in St. Louis is in St. Louis, Missouri. 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 39.3% for the other school. This 29 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Washington University in St. Louis has lower tuition at $72,792 per year compared to $80,100. Combined with employment rates of 98.2% (Duke) and 96.8% (WUSTL), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Washington University in St. Louis offered a median scholarship of $205,500 compared to $112,000, a difference of $93,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.