Head-to-head · 17 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 94% chose UCD. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 17 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 UCD
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (49 cross-admits)
Trend · UCD's share
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 (Hastings)
51
University of California—Berkeley
45
University of California—Los Angeles
43
University of California—Irvine
33
University of San Diego
33
University of California—Davis
17
University of California (Hastings)
15
Santa Clara University
10
Overview
About UCD vs Pacific (Mcgeorge)
Across 17 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 94% enrolled at University of California—Davis and 6% at University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge).
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 California—Davis and University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge) across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of California—Davis is ranked #52 compared to #152 — a gap of 100 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of California—Davis has a median LSAT of 165 compared to 156, a gap of 9 points. This suggests applicants to University of California—Davis face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of California—Davis is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 16.0% compared to University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge)'s 54.4%.
Both schools are located in California — University of California—Davis in Davis and University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge) in Sacramento — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of California—Davis places 22.1% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 3.4% for the other school. This 19 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, University of California—Davis has lower tuition at $57,460 per year compared to $62,678. Combined with employment rates of 95.6% (UCD) and 84.5% (Pacific (Mcgeorge)), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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