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 Vandy
Median scholarship (chose Vandy)
Median scholarship (chose TAMU)
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2025 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2024 ABA Employment
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About Vandy vs TAMU
Across 17 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 94% enrolled at Vanderbilt University and 6% at Texas A&M 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.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Vanderbilt University and Texas A&M 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.
Vanderbilt University is located in Nashville, Tennessee, while Texas A&M University is in Fort Worth, Texas. 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 47.6% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 19.1% for the other school. This 29 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 94.6% (Vandy) and 100.0% (TAMU), 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.