Head-to-head · 25 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 56% chose ND. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 25 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 ND
Median scholarship (chose ND)
Median scholarship (chose WUSTL)
View all-time (120 cross-admits)
Trend · ND'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 ND vs WUSTL
Across 25 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 56% enrolled at University of Notre Dame and 44% at Washington University in St. Louis. The split has shifted +21 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 Notre Dame and Washington University in St. Louis across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 25 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 25 applicants admitted to both schools, 56% chose to attend University of Notre Dame. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Washington University in St. Louis is ranked #13 compared to #20 — a gap of 7 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Washington University in St. Louis has a median LSAT of 175 compared to 170, a gap of 5 points. This suggests applicants to Washington University in St. Louis face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of Notre Dame is located in South Bend, Indiana, while Washington University in St. Louis is in St. Louis, Missouri. 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, Washington University in St. Louis offered a median scholarship of $164,500 compared to $120,000, a difference of $44,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.