Head-to-head · 34 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 71% chose WUSTL. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 34 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 UMN
Median scholarship (chose UMN)
Median scholarship (chose WUSTL)
View all-time (118 cross-admits)
Trend · UMN'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 UMN vs WUSTL
Across 34 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 29% enrolled at University of Minnesota and 71% at Washington University in St. Louis. The split has shifted -42 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 Minnesota and Washington University in St. Louis across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 34 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 34 applicants admitted to both schools, 71% chose to attend Washington University in St. Louis. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Washington University in St. Louis is ranked #13 compared to #22 — a gap of 9 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Washington University in St. Louis has a median LSAT of 175 compared to 171, a gap of 4 points. This suggests applicants to Washington University in St. Louis face a more competitive admissions pool.
University of Minnesota is located in Minneapolis, Minnesota, while Washington University in St. Louis is in St. Louis, Missouri. 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: Washington University in St. Louis places 39.9% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 17.6% for the other school. This 22 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, University of Minnesota has lower tuition at $51,440 per year compared to $72,792. Combined with employment rates of 95.5% (UMN) and 98.5% (WUSTL), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants, Washington University in St. Louis offered a median scholarship of $144,000 compared to $75,000, a difference of $69,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
Your study break just got better: follow @lawschooldata on Follow @lawschooldata on TikTok & Instagram