Head-to-head · 23 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 83% chose OSU. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 23 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 OSU
Median scholarship (chose OSU)
Median scholarship (chose Cincinnati)
View all-time (71 cross-admits)
Trend · OSU'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 OSU vs Cincinnati
Across 23 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 83% enrolled at Ohio State University and 17% at University of Cincinnati. 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.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Ohio State University and University of Cincinnati across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 23 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 23 applicants admitted to both schools, 83% chose to attend Ohio State University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Ohio State University is ranked #30 compared to #82 — a gap of 52 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Ohio State University has a median LSAT of 168 compared to 159, a gap of 9 points. This suggests applicants to Ohio State University face a more competitive admissions pool.
Both schools are located in Ohio — Ohio State University in Columbus and University of Cincinnati in Cincinnati — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
On cost, University of Cincinnati has lower tuition at $24,010 per year compared to $35,650. Combined with employment rates of 94.4% (OSU) and 88.5% (Cincinnati), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Cincinnati offered a median scholarship of $74,430 compared to $58,818, a difference of $15,612 that may factor into enrollment decisions.