Head-to-head · 21 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 95% chose UNC. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 21 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 W&L)
View all-time (56 cross-admits)
Trend · UNC's share
Lowest cycle
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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
Overview
About UNC vs W&L
Across 21 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 95% enrolled at University of North Carolina and 5% at Washington and Lee University. The split has shifted -2 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 Washington and Lee University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 21 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 21 applicants admitted to both schools, 95% 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 #34 — a gap of 16 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 Washington and Lee University's 22.7%.
University of North Carolina is located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, while Washington and Lee University is in Lexington, Virginia. Regional placement matters: graduates tend to find employment near their law school, so location should factor into your decision alongside rankings and cost.
On cost, University of North Carolina has lower tuition at $28,082 per year compared to $57,450. Combined with employment rates of 96.2% (UNC) and 95.0% (W&L), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Washington and Lee University offered a median scholarship of $147,750 compared to $52,500, a difference of $95,250 that may factor into enrollment decisions.