Head-to-head · 100 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 80% chose UCBerkeley. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 100 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 UCBerkeley
Median scholarship (chose UCBerkeley)
Median scholarship (chose UCLA)
View all-time (290 cross-admits)
Trend · UCBerkeley's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
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 UCBerkeley vs UCLA
Across 100 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 80% enrolled at University of California—Berkeley and 20% at University of California—Los Angeles. The split has shifted -12 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.
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 University of California—Berkeley and University of California—Los Angeles across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 100 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 100 applicants admitted to both schools, 80% chose to attend University of California—Berkeley. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
Both schools are closely ranked in U.S. News: #13 and #16, separated by just 3 positions, making cross-admit data especially useful for deciding between them.
Both schools are located in California — University of California—Berkeley in Berkeley and University of California—Los Angeles in Los Angeles — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of California—Berkeley offered a median scholarship of $120,000 compared to $105,000, a difference of $15,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.