Head-to-head · 48 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 56% chose Loyola Marymount. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 48 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
Median scholarship (chose Loyola Marymount)
Median scholarship (chose USD)
View all-time (149 cross-admits)
Trend · Loyola Marymount'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 Loyola Marymount vs USD
Across 48 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 56% enrolled at Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles and 44% at University of San Diego. The split has shifted -27 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 Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles and University of San Diego across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 48 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 48 applicants admitted to both schools, 56% chose to attend Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of San Diego is ranked #54 compared to #70 — a gap of 16 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Both schools are located in California — Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles in Los Angeles and University of San Diego in San Diego — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Loyola Marymount University—Los Angeles offered a median scholarship of $126,000 compared to $90,000, a difference of $36,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.