University of California—Davis vs University of Southern California

This page compares University of California—Davis and University of Southern California across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 22 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 22 applicants admitted to both schools, 96% chose to attend University of Southern California. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.

In the U.S. News rankings, University of Southern California is ranked #26 compared to #50 — a gap of 24 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of Southern California has a median LSAT of 169 compared to 165, a gap of 4 points. This suggests applicants to University of Southern California face a more competitive admissions pool.

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

Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of Southern California places 56.6% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 26.3% for the other school. This 30 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 $84,034. Combined with employment rates of 89.3% (UCD) and 95.5% (USC), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.

Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Southern California offered a median scholarship of $126,051 compared to $105,000, a difference of $21,051 that may factor into enrollment decisions.