Head-to-head · 17 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 94% chose Vandy. 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 TAMU
Median scholarship (chose TAMU)
Median scholarship (chose Vandy)
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 TAMU vs Vandy
Across 17 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 6% enrolled at Texas A&M University and 94% at Vanderbilt University.
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.
Looking at a different matchup? Browse all comparisons or run a custom pair from the index.
Compare another pair
Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Texas A&M University and Vanderbilt University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, Vanderbilt University is ranked #12 compared to #22 — a gap of 10 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Texas A&M University is located in Fort Worth, Texas, while Vanderbilt University is in Nashville, Tennessee. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Vanderbilt University places 46.7% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 14.5% for the other school. This 32 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 $76,440. Combined with employment rates of 99.2% (TAMU) and 98.8% (Vandy), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Vanderbilt University offered a median scholarship of $157,500 compared to $54,000, a difference of $103,500 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
Your study break just got better: follow @lawschooldata on Follow @lawschooldata on TikTok & Instagram