University of California—Davis vs University of San Diego

This page compares University of California—Davis and University of San Diego across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 20 applicants admitted to both.

Based on 20 applicants admitted to both schools, 80% chose to attend University of California—Davis. 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—Davis is ranked #50 compared to #57 — a gap of 7 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.

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

Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of California—Davis places 26.3% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 13.3% for the other school. This 13 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 $66,950. Combined with employment rates of 89.3% (UCD) and 90.8% (USD), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.