Head-to-head · 21 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 81% chose Emory University. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 21 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 Emory University
Median scholarship (chose Emory University)
Median scholarship (chose GSU)
View all-time (42 cross-admits)
Trend · Emory University's share
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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
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About Emory University vs GSU
Across 21 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 81% enrolled at Emory University and 19% at Georgia State University. The split has shifted -25 points across the tracked cycles.
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 Emory University and Georgia State University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 21 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 21 applicants admitted to both schools, 81% chose to attend Emory University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Emory University is ranked #40 compared to #77 — a gap of 37 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Emory University has a median LSAT of 166 compared to 160, a gap of 6 points. This suggests applicants to Emory University face a more competitive admissions pool.
Both schools are located in Georgia — Emory University in Atlanta and Georgia State University in Atlanta — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Emory University places 33.7% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 9.5% for the other school. This 24 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Georgia State University has lower tuition at $16,162 per year compared to $69,510. Combined with employment rates of 92.0% (Emory University) and 91.0% (GSU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.