Head-to-head · 82 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 90% chose UPenn. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 82 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 UPenn
Median scholarship (chose UPenn)
Median scholarship (chose NU)
View all-time (229 cross-admits)
Trend · UPenn'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 UPenn vs NU
Across 82 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 90% enrolled at University of Pennsylvania and 10% at Northwestern University. The split has shifted -6 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 University of Pennsylvania and Northwestern University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 82 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 82 applicants admitted to both schools, 90% chose to attend University of Pennsylvania. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Pennsylvania is ranked #4 compared to #9 — a gap of 5 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
University of Pennsylvania is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 8.1% compared to Northwestern University's 12.3%.
University of Pennsylvania is located in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, while Northwestern University is in Evanston, Illinois. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Northwestern University offered a median scholarship of $180,000 compared to $141,578, a difference of $38,422 that may factor into enrollment decisions.