Head-to-head · 76 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 93% chose UVA. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 76 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
Median scholarship (chose UVA)
Median scholarship (chose UT)
View all-time (186 cross-admits)
Trend · UVA's share
Lowest cycle
Highest cycle
Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2025 ABA 509Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2024 ABA EmploymentCross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesOverview
About UVA vs UT
Across 76 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 93% enrolled at University of Virginia and 7% at University of Texas at Austin. 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.
Compare another pair
Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares University of Virginia and University of Texas at Austin across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 76 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 76 applicants admitted to both schools, 93% chose to attend University of Virginia. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, University of Virginia is ranked #4 compared to #16 — a gap of 12 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
University of Virginia is located in Charlottesville, Virginia, while University of Texas at Austin is in Austin, Texas. 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: University of Virginia places 60.2% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 42.5% for the other school. This 18 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
Among cross-admitted applicants, University of Virginia offered a median scholarship of $120,000 compared to $84,000, a difference of $36,000 that may factor into enrollment decisions.