Head-to-head · 28 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 82% chose W&L. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 28 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 W&L)
View all-time (58 cross-admits)
Trend · Richmond's share
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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 W&L
Across 28 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 18% enrolled at University of Richmond and 82% at Washington and Lee 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 Washington and Lee University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 28 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 28 applicants admitted to both schools, 82% chose to attend Washington and Lee University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Washington and Lee University is ranked #34 compared to #62 — a gap of 28 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
Washington and Lee University is significantly more selective, with an acceptance rate of 22.7% compared to University of Richmond's 39.6%.
Both schools are located in Virginia — University of Richmond in Richmond and Washington and Lee University in Lexington — meaning graduates often compete in the same regional legal market.
Employment outcomes differ substantially: Washington and Lee University places 31.8% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 5.1% for the other school. This 27 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Richmond offered a median scholarship of $150,000 compared to $93,000, a difference of $57,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.
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