University of California—Berkeley vs University of California—Davis

This page compares University of California—Berkeley and University of California—Davis across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 37 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 37 applicants admitted to both schools, 100% chose to attend University of California—Berkeley. 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—Berkeley is ranked #13 compared to #50 — a gap of 37 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of California—Berkeley has a median LSAT of 170 compared to 165, a gap of 5 points. This suggests applicants to University of California—Berkeley face a more competitive admissions pool.

Both schools are located in California — University of California—Berkeley in Berkeley and University of California—Davis in Davis — 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 26.3% for the other school. This 26 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.

On cost, University of California—Davis has lower tuition at $57,460 per year compared to $62,532. Combined with employment rates of 93.6% (UCBerkeley) and 89.3% (UCD), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.

Among cross-admitted applicants, University of California—Davis offered a median scholarship of $105,000 compared to $90,000, a difference of $15,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.