Head-to-head · 45 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 87% chose UNC. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 45 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 UNC
Median scholarship (chose UNC)
Median scholarship (chose GW)
View all-time (59 cross-admits)
Trend · UNC's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
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 UNC vs GW
Across 45 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 87% enrolled at University of North Carolina and 13% at George Washington University. The split has shifted +29 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.
Looking at a different matchup? Browse all comparisons or run a custom pair from the index.
Compare another pair
Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares University of North Carolina and George Washington University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 45 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 45 applicants admitted to both schools, 87% chose to attend University of North Carolina. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of North Carolina is ranked #18 compared to #26 — a gap of 8 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
University of North Carolina is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 11.2% compared to George Washington University's 27.2%.
University of North Carolina is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, while George Washington University is in Washington, D.C., Washington, D.C.. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
On cost, University of North Carolina has lower tuition at $28,082 per year compared to $75,420. Combined with employment rates of 96.2% (UNC) and 96.5% (GW), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, George Washington University offered a median scholarship of $105,000 compared to $52,500, a difference of $52,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.