Head-to-head · 23 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 96% chose HLS. 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 HLS
Median scholarship (chose HLS)
Median scholarship (chose NUSL)
View all-time (32 cross-admits)
Trend · HLS'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 HLS vs NUSL
Across 23 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 96% enrolled at Harvard University and 4% at Northeastern University. The split has shifted -13 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 Harvard University and Northeastern University 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, 96% chose to attend Harvard University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Harvard University is ranked #6 compared to #77 — a gap of 71 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Harvard University has a median LSAT of 174 compared to 164, a gap of 10 points. This suggests applicants to Harvard University face a more competitive admissions pool.
Harvard University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 9.2% compared to Northeastern University's 24.2%.
Both schools are located in Massachusetts — Harvard University in Cambridge and Northeastern University in Boston — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Harvard University places 51.4% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 19.6% for the other school. This 32 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Northeastern University has lower tuition at $65,652 per year compared to $77,100. Combined with employment rates of 90.7% (HLS) and 91.1% (NUSL), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Northeastern University offered a median scholarship of $181,224 compared to $99,750, a difference of $81,474 that may factor into enrollment decisions.