Head-to-head · 16 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 100% chose UNC. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 16 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 UNC
Median scholarship (chose UNC)
Median scholarship (chose South Carolina)
View all-time (41 cross-admits)
Trend · UNC's share
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
Wake Forest University
67
George Washington University
46
Emory University
33
University of Richmond
23
Washington and Lee University
22
Wake Forest University
23
University of Tennessee
20
University of North Carolina
16
University of Georgia
12
Tulane University
11
Overview
About UNC vs South Carolina
Across 16 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 100% enrolled at University of North Carolina and 0% at University of South Carolina.
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 North Carolina and University of South Carolina across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of North Carolina is ranked #18 compared to #62 — a gap of 44 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: University of North Carolina has a median LSAT of 168 compared to 162, a gap of 6 points. This suggests applicants to University of North Carolina face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of North Carolina is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 11.2% compared to University of South Carolina's 29.9%.
University of North Carolina is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, while University of South Carolina is in Columbia, South Carolina. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: University of North Carolina places 24.8% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 7.9% for the other school. This 17 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, University of South Carolina has lower tuition at $20,322 per year compared to $28,082. Combined with employment rates of 96.2% (UNC) and 92.1% (South Carolina), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of South Carolina offered a median scholarship of $72,000 compared to $45,000, a difference of $27,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.