Head-to-head · 29 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 97% chose USC. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 29 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 USC
Median scholarship (chose USC)
Median scholarship (chose Loyola Marymount)
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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
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Overview
About USC vs Loyola Marymount
Across 29 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 97% enrolled at University of Southern California and 3% at Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles.
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 University of Southern California and Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 29 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 29 applicants admitted to both schools, 97% chose to attend University of Southern California. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Southern California is ranked #26 compared to #70 — a gap of 44 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of Southern California has a median LSAT of 169 compared to 163, a gap of 6 points. This suggests applicants to University of Southern California face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of Southern California is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 11.2% compared to Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles's 26.1%.
Both schools are located in California — University of Southern California in Los Angeles and Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles in Los Angeles — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of Southern California places 56.6% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 16.7% for the other school. This 40 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles has lower tuition at $70,360 per year compared to $84,034. Combined with employment rates of 95.5% (USC) and 93.2% (Loyola Marymount), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles offered a median scholarship of $174,000 compared to $135,000, a difference of $39,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.