Head-to-head · 16 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 81% chose IU. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 16 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 IU
Median scholarship (chose IU)
Median scholarship (chose Cincinnati)
View all-time (32 cross-admits)
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 IU vs Cincinnati
Across 16 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 81% enrolled at Indiana University - Bloomington and 19% at University of Cincinnati.
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 Indiana University - Bloomington and University of Cincinnati across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, Indiana University - Bloomington is ranked #49 compared to #82 — a gap of 33 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Indiana University - Bloomington has a median LSAT of 164 compared to 159, a gap of 5 points. This suggests applicants to Indiana University - Bloomington face a more competitive admissions pool.
Indiana University - Bloomington is located in Bloomington, Indiana, while University of Cincinnati is in Cincinnati, Ohio. 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: Indiana University - Bloomington places 17.2% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 6.2% for the other school. This 11 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, University of Cincinnati has lower tuition at $24,010 per year compared to $36,950. Combined with employment rates of 91.9% (IU) and 88.5% (Cincinnati), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Indiana University - Bloomington offered a median scholarship of $96,000 compared to $72,000, a difference of $24,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.