Head-to-head · 54 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose UPenn. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 54 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 GW
Median scholarship (chose GW)
Median scholarship (chose UPenn)
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Trend · GW's share
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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
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Overview
About GW vs UPenn
Across 54 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 0% enrolled at George Washington University and 100% at University of Pennsylvania.
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 George Washington University and University of Pennsylvania across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 54 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 54 applicants admitted to both schools, 100% chose to attend University of Pennsylvania. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Pennsylvania is ranked #4 compared to #26 — a gap of 22 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of Pennsylvania has a median LSAT of 173 compared to 168, a gap of 5 points. This suggests applicants to University of Pennsylvania face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of Pennsylvania is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 8.1% compared to George Washington University's 27.2%.
George Washington University is located in Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C., while University of Pennsylvania is in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 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: University of Pennsylvania places 67.1% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 24.1% for the other school. This 43 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Pennsylvania offered a median scholarship of $150,000 compared to $122,500, a difference of $27,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
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