Head-to-head · 18 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 94% chose Loyola Marymount. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 18 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 Loyola Marymount
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (81 cross-admits)
Trend · Loyola Marymount's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
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
Other popular cross-admit matchups
University of California—Los Angeles
46
University of San Diego
44
University of California (Hastings)
36
University of California—Davis
26
University of Southern California
26
Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles
17
University of California (Hastings)
10
Overview
About Loyola Marymount vs Southwestern Law
Across 18 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 94% enrolled at Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles and 6% at Southwestern Law School. The split has shifted -17 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 Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles and Southwestern Law School across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles is ranked #70 compared to #161 — a gap of 91 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles has a median LSAT of 163 compared to 157, a gap of 6 points. This suggests applicants to Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles face a more competitive admissions pool.
Both schools are located in California — Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles in Los Angeles and Southwestern Law School in Los Angeles — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles places 16.3% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 4.1% for the other school. This 12 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Southwestern Law School has lower tuition at $63,160 per year compared to $70,360. Combined with employment rates of 91.0% (Loyola Marymount) and 86.6% (Southwestern Law), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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