Head-to-head · 84 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 79% chose UVA. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 84 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 NU
Median scholarship (chose NU)
Median scholarship (chose UVA)
View all-time (221 cross-admits)
Trend · NU's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price and scholarship aid 2025 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2025 ABA Employment
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About NU vs UVA
Across 84 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 21% enrolled at Northwestern University and 79% at University of Virginia. The split has shifted +32 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 Northwestern University and University of Virginia across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 84 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 84 applicants admitted to both schools, 79% chose to attend University of Virginia. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Virginia is ranked #4 compared to #9 — a gap of 5 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Northwestern University is located in Evanston, Illinois, while University of Virginia is in Charlottesville, Virginia. 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 Virginia has lower tuition at $74,078 per year compared to $79,772. Combined with employment rates of 97.3% (NU) and 98.7% (UVA), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Northwestern University offered a median scholarship of $180,000 compared to $142,500, a difference of $37,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
Your study break just got better: follow @lawschooldata on Follow @lawschooldata on TikTok & Instagram