Head-to-head · 16 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 94% chose WFU. 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 Richmond
Median scholarship (chose Richmond)
Median scholarship (chose WFU)
View all-time (42 cross-admits)
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 Richmond vs WFU
Across 16 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 6% enrolled at University of Richmond and 94% at Wake Forest University.
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 Richmond and Wake Forest University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes using official ABA 509 disclosures.
In the U.S. News rankings, Wake Forest University is ranked #30 compared to #62 — a gap of 32 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Wake Forest University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 24.6% compared to University of Richmond's 39.6%.
University of Richmond is located in Richmond, Virginia, while Wake Forest University is in Winston-Salem, North 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: Wake Forest University places 26.6% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 5.1% for the other school. This 22 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Richmond offered a median scholarship of $147,615 compared to $105,000, a difference of $42,615 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
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