Head-to-head · 10 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 70% chose Santa. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 10 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 Pacific (Mcgeorge)
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (44 cross-admits)
Trend · Pacific (Mcgeorge)'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
University of California—Davis
17
University of California (Hastings)
15
Santa Clara University
10
Overview
About Pacific (Mcgeorge) vs Santa
Across 10 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 30% enrolled at University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge) and 70% at Santa Clara University. The split has shifted -27 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.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge) and Santa Clara University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
Both schools are closely ranked in U.S. News: #150 and #152, separated by just 2 positions, making cross-admit data especially useful for deciding between them.
Both schools are located in California — University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge) in Sacramento and Santa Clara University in Santa Clara — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Santa Clara University places 16.7% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 3.4% for the other school. This 13 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Santa Clara University has lower tuition at - per year compared to $62,678. Combined with employment rates of 84.5% (Pacific (Mcgeorge)) and 80.8% (Santa), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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