Head-to-head · 42 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 95% chose SLS. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 42 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 SLS
Median scholarship (chose SLS)
Median scholarship (chose UMich)
View all-time (184 cross-admits)
Trend · SLS'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 SLS vs UMich
Across 42 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 95% enrolled at Stanford University and 5% at University of Michigan. The split has shifted +20 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 Stanford University and University of Michigan across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 42 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 42 applicants admitted to both schools, 95% chose to attend Stanford University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Stanford University is ranked #1 compared to #9 — a gap of 8 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Stanford University is located in Stanford, California, while University of Michigan is in Ann Arbor, Michigan. 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: University of Michigan places 50.3% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 40.2% for the other school. This 10 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Stanford University offered a median scholarship of $188,213 compared to $172,500, a difference of $15,713 that may factor into enrollment decisions.