Head-to-head · 24 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 96% chose USC. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 24 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 USC
Median scholarship (chose USC)
Median scholarship (chose UCD)
View all-time (66 cross-admits)
Trend · USC'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 USC vs UCD
Across 24 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 96% enrolled at University of Southern California and 4% at University of California—Davis. The split has shifted -13 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 Southern California and University of California—Davis across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 24 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 24 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 #52 — a gap of 26 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 Southern California in Los Angeles and University of California—Davis in Davis — 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 95.5% (USC) and 89.3% (UCD), 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.