Head-to-head · 46 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose UCLA. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 46 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 UCI
Median scholarship (chose UCI)
Median scholarship (chose UCLA)
View all-time (96 cross-admits)
Trend · UCI's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price and scholarship aid 2025 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2025 ABA Employment
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About UCI vs UCLA
Across 46 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 0% enrolled at University of California—Irvine and 100% at University of California—Los Angeles. The split has shifted -50 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.
Looking at a different matchup? Browse all comparisons or run a custom pair from the index.
Compare another pair
Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares University of California—Irvine and University of California—Los Angeles across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 46 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 46 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 #13 compared to #34 — a gap of 21 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Both schools are located in California — University of California—Irvine in Irvine 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 54.8% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 27.7% for the other school. This 27 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of California—Irvine offered a median scholarship of $120,000 compared to $60,000, a difference of $60,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
Your study break just got better: follow @lawschooldata on Follow @lawschooldata on TikTok & Instagram