Head-to-head · 15 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 87% chose UCHastings. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 15 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
Median scholarship (chose UCHastings)
Median scholarship (chose Pacific (Mcgeorge))
View all-time (43 cross-admits)
Trend · UCHastings's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2026 ABA 509Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2026 ABA 509Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2025 ABA EmploymentCross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesOverview
About UCHastings vs Pacific (Mcgeorge)
Across 15 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 87% enrolled at University of California (Hastings) and 13% at University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge). The split has shifted -20 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 California (Hastings) 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 (Hastings) is ranked #85 compared to #152 — a gap of 67 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Both schools are located in California — University of California (Hastings) in San Francisco 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 (Hastings) places 22.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 3.4% for the other school. This 20 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of the Pacific (Mcgeorge) offered a median scholarship of $180,000 compared to $77,500, a difference of $102,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.