Head-to-head · 32 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 66% chose W&M. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 32 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 W&M
Typical aid · ABA 509 · 2025
per yearCross-admits who enrolled · self-reported, 3-yr award
View all-time (108 cross-admits)
Trend · W&M'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 W&M vs W&L
Across 32 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 66% enrolled at William & Mary Law School and 34% 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 William & Mary Law School and Washington and Lee University across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 32 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 32 applicants admitted to both schools, 66% chose to attend William & Mary Law School. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
Both schools are closely ranked in U.S. News: #34 and #34, separated by just 0 positions, making cross-admit data especially useful for deciding between them.
Both schools are located in Virginia — William & Mary Law School in Williamsburg 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 19.1% for the other school. This 13 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, William & Mary Law School has lower tuition at $38,734 per year compared to $57,450. Combined with employment rates of 95.0% (W&M) and 92.7% (W&L), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.
Among cross-admitted applicants who enrolled, those choosing Washington and Lee University reported a higher median scholarship — $135,000 versus $111,336 over three years — though aid is one of several factors behind the enrollment decision.
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