Head-to-head · 13 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 85% chose St. John's. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 13 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 Pace University
Median scholarship (chose Pace University)
Median scholarship (chose St. John's)
View all-time (22 cross-admits)
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
New York Law School
21
Albany Law School Of Union University
13
St. John's University
11
Overview
About Pace University vs St. John's
Across 13 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 15% enrolled at Pace University and 85% at St. John's University.
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 Pace University and St. John's University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, St. John's University is ranked #62 compared to #142 — a gap of 80 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: St. John's University has a median LSAT of 164 compared to 154, a gap of 10 points. This suggests applicants to St. John's University face a more competitive admissions pool.
St. John's University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 23.1% compared to Pace University's 44.1%.
Both schools are located in New York — Pace University in White Plains and St. John's University in Queens — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: St. John's University places 22.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 5.4% for the other school. This 18 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Pace University has lower tuition at $56,648 per year compared to $75,170. Combined with employment rates of 86.6% (Pace University) and 93.6% (St. John's), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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