University of California—Davis vs University of California—Los Angeles

This page compares University of California—Davis and University of California—Los Angeles across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 41 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 41 applicants admitted to both schools, 100% chose to attend University of California—Los Angeles. 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—Los Angeles is ranked #12 compared to #50 — a gap of 38 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of California—Los Angeles has a median LSAT of 171 compared to 165, a gap of 6 points. This suggests applicants to University of California—Los Angeles face a more competitive admissions pool.

Both schools are located in California — University of California—Davis in Davis and University of California—Los Angeles in Los Angeles — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.

Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of California—Los Angeles places 50.5% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 26.3% for the other school. This 24 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.

Among cross-admitted applicants, University of California—Davis offered a median scholarship of $105,000 compared to $55,000, a difference of $50,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.