Head-to-head · 30 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 93% chose UCI. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 30 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 UCI
Median scholarship (chose UCI)
Median scholarship (chose UCD)
View all-time (74 cross-admits)
Trend · UCI'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 UCI vs UCD
Across 30 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 93% enrolled at University of California—Irvine and 7% at University of California—Davis. The split has shifted -3 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.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares University of California—Irvine and University of California—Davis across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 30 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 30 applicants admitted to both schools, 93% chose to attend University of California—Irvine. 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—Irvine is ranked #34 compared to #52 — a gap of 18 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of California—Irvine has a median LSAT of 169 compared to 165, a gap of 4 points. This suggests applicants to University of California—Irvine face a more competitive admissions pool.
Both schools are located in California — University of California—Irvine in Irvine and University of California—Davis in Davis — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of California—Davis offered a median scholarship of $105,000 compared to $75,000, a difference of $30,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.