Head-to-head · 48 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 52% chose TAMU. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 48 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 SMU
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (91 cross-admits)
Trend · SMU'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
Overview
About SMU vs TAMU
Across 48 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 48% enrolled at Southern Methodist University and 52% at Texas A&M University. The split has shifted -23 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 Southern Methodist University and Texas A&M University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 48 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 48 applicants admitted to both schools, 52% chose to attend Texas A&M University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Texas A&M University is ranked #22 compared to #42 — a gap of 20 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Texas A&M University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 12.1% compared to Southern Methodist University's 24.6%.
Both schools are located in Texas — Southern Methodist University in Dallas and Texas A&M University in Fort Worth — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Southern Methodist University places 33.8% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 14.5% for the other school. This 19 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, Texas A&M University has lower tuition at $32,634 per year compared to $60,844. Combined with employment rates of 98.2% (SMU) and 99.2% (TAMU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants who enrolled, those choosing Southern Methodist University reported a higher median scholarship — $91,500 versus $66,000 over three years — though aid is one of several factors behind the enrollment decision.
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