Head-to-head · 99 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose HLS. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 99 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 WUSTL)
View all-time (187 cross-admits)
Trend · HLS's share
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 WUSTL
Across 99 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at Harvard University and 0% 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 Harvard University and Washington University in St. Louis across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 99 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 99 applicants admitted to both schools, 100% 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 #13 — a gap of 7 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Harvard University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 9.2% compared to Washington University in St. Louis's 19.0%.
Harvard University is located in Cambridge, Massachusetts, 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: Harvard University places 51.4% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 39.3% for the other school. This 12 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Washington University in St. Louis offered a median scholarship of $208,750 compared to $122,775, a difference of $85,975 that may factor into enrollment decisions.