Head-to-head · 21 cross-admits
When applicants got into both, 81% chose WUSTL. Side-by-side on admissions, costs, and outcomes — sourced from 21 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 WUSTL
Median scholarship (chose WUSTL)
Median scholarship (chose UWisconsin)
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Trend · WUSTL's share
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Admissions
Rankings, LSAT/GPA, acceptance & yield 2025 ABA 509
Financial
Sticker price, scholarships, and debt burden 2025 ABA 509
Employment & outcomes
Post-graduation placement and bar passage 2024 ABA Employment
Cross-admit by cycle
How preferences shifted over recent cyclesRelated comparisons
Other popular cross-admit matchups
Overview
About WUSTL vs UWisconsin
Across 21 applicants admitted to both schools and self-reporting on LSD, 81% enrolled at Washington University in St. Louis and 19% at University of Wisconsin. The split has shifted +29 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.
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Detailed comparison narrative
This page compares Washington University in St. Louis and University of Wisconsin across admissions data, cost of attendance, and employment outcomes — plus cross-admit decision data from 21 applicants admitted to both.
Based on 21 applicants admitted to both schools, 81% chose to attend Washington University in St. Louis. This cross-admit data reflects real enrollment decisions from verified law school applicants on LSD.Law.
In the U.S. News rankings, Washington University in St. Louis is ranked #13 compared to #26 — a gap of 13 positions that often correlates with differences in employment outcomes and peer assessment scores.
There is a meaningful difference in admissions competitiveness: Washington University in St. Louis has a median LSAT of 175 compared to 167, a gap of 8 points. This suggests applicants to Washington University in St. Louis face a more competitive admissions pool.
Washington University in St. Louis is located in St. Louis, Missouri, while University of Wisconsin is in Madison, Wisconsin. 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: Washington University in St. Louis places 39.3% of graduates into large law firm positions, compared to 12.5% for the other school. This 27 percentage point gap is significant for applicants targeting BigLaw careers.
On cost, University of Wisconsin has lower tuition at $36,526 per year compared to $72,792. Combined with employment rates of 96.8% (WUSTL) and 93.5% (UWisconsin), prospective students should weigh the cost-to-outcome ratio carefully.