This page compares University of California—Irvine and University of California (Hastings) 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, 91% 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 #85 — a gap of 51 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 161, a gap of 8 points. This suggests applicants to University of California—Irvine face a more competitive admissions pool.

University of California—Irvine is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 14.9% compared to University of California (Hastings)'s 27.5%.

Both schools are located in California — University of California—Irvine in Irvine and University of California (Hastings) in San Francisco — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.

On cost, University of California (Hastings) has lower tuition at $53,087 per year compared to $59,080. Combined with employment rates of 93.5% (UCI) and 94.9% (UCHastings), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.