Stanford University vs University of California—Berkeley

This page compares Stanford University and University of California—Berkeley across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 70 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 70 applicants admitted to both schools, 99% chose to attend Stanford University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.

In the U.S. News rankings, Stanford University is ranked #1 compared to #13 — a gap of 12 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

Stanford University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 6.1% compared to University of California—Berkeley's 14.8%.

Both schools are located in California — Stanford University in Stanford and University of California—Berkeley in Berkeley — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.

Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of California—Berkeley places 52.2% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 40.2% for the other school. This 12 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.

On cost, University of California—Berkeley has lower tuition at $62,532 per year compared to $77,454. Combined with employment rates of 85.9% (SLS) and 93.6% (UCBerkeley), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.

Among cross-admitted applicants, Stanford University offered a median scholarship of $180,000 compared to $140,000, a difference of $40,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.