Head-to-head · 25 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 92% chose WFU. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 25 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 WFU
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (52 cross-admits)
Trend · WFU'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
University of North Carolina
60
Emory University
30
Washington and Lee University
28
University of South Carolina
22
University of Tennessee
20
Wake Forest University
22
University of Tennessee
18
University of North Carolina
15
Tulane University
11
University of Georgia
10
Overview
About WFU vs South Carolina
Across 25 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 92% enrolled at Wake Forest University and 8% at University of South Carolina. The split has shifted +20 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.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Wake Forest University and University of South Carolina across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 25 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 25 applicants admitted to both schools, 92% chose to attend Wake Forest University. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
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.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Wake Forest University has a median LSAT of 166 compared to 162, a gap of 4 points. This suggests applicants to Wake Forest University face a more competitive admissions pool.
Wake Forest University is located in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, while University of South Carolina is in Columbia, South 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 8.4% for the other school. This 18 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, University of South Carolina has lower tuition at $20,322 per year compared to $57,920. Combined with employment rates of 98.7% (WFU) and 93.7% (South Carolina), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
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