Head-to-head · 68 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 91% chose UNC. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 68 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
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (164 cross-admits)
Trend · UNC'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 UNC vs WFU
Across 68 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 91% enrolled at University of North Carolina and 9% at Wake Forest University. The split has shifted +33 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 North Carolina and Wake Forest University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 68 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 68 applicants admitted to both schools, 91% chose to attend University of North Carolina. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of North Carolina is ranked #18 compared to #30 — a gap of 12 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
University of North Carolina is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 11.2% compared to Wake Forest University's 24.6%.
Both schools are located in North Carolina — University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill and Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
On cost, University of North Carolina has lower tuition at $28,082 per year compared to $57,920. Combined with employment rates of 97.3% (UNC) and 98.7% (WFU), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants who enrolled, those choosing Wake Forest University reported a higher median scholarship — $162,500 versus $51,000 over three years — though aid is one of several factors behind the enrollment decision.
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