Head-to-head · 39 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 92% chose UCHastings. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 39 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 UCHastings
Median scholarship (chose UCHastings)
Median scholarship (chose Santa)
View all-time (104 cross-admits)
Trend · UCHastings's share
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Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2024 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2024 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2021 ABA Employment
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About UCHastings vs Santa
Across 39 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 92% enrolled at University of California (Hastings) and 8% at Santa Clara University. The split has shifted -17 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 Santa Clara University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 39 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 39 applicants admitted to both schools, 92% chose to attend University of California (Hastings). This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of California (Hastings) is ranked #85 compared to #150 — a gap of 65 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 Santa Clara University in Santa Clara — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
On cost, Santa Clara University has lower tuition at - per year compared to $49,383. Combined with employment rates of 51.3% (UCHastings) and 82.2% (Santa), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Santa Clara University offered a median scholarship of $135,000 compared to $75,000, a difference of $60,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.