Head-to-head · 45 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 91% chose UMich. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 45 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 UMich
Median scholarship (chose UMich)
Median scholarship (chose USC)
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Trend · UMich's share
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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
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About UMich vs USC
Across 45 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 91% enrolled at University of Michigan and 9% at University of Southern California.
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 Michigan and University of Southern California across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 45 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 45 applicants admitted to both schools, 91% chose to attend University of Michigan. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Michigan is ranked #9 compared to #26 — a gap of 17 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
University of Michigan is located in Ann Arbor, Michigan, while University of Southern California is in Los Angeles, California. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
On cost, University of Michigan has lower tuition at $76,108 per year compared to $84,034. Combined with employment rates of 95.0% (UMich) and 95.5% (USC), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Southern California offered a median scholarship of $135,000 compared to $120,000, a difference of $15,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.