Duke University vs Stanford University
Where graduates end up, what each school really costs, and who gets in, side by side from each school's official ABA data. Add your LSAT and GPA to see your chances and scholarship estimates at both.
VS
Add your numbersSee your admission chances and scholarship estimates at both schools.
The short version
- Duke places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 82.6% of the Class of 2025, against 64.7% at Stanford.
- Duke costs about $87K less over three years after the average scholarship: $230K against $317K, and more of its students get a scholarship (94% vs 50%).
- Stanford is harder to get into: a 173 median LSAT and a 6.1% acceptance rate, against 171 and 12.9% at Duke.
- Stanford has the higher first time bar pass rate: 99.4% against 98.2%.
Duke
vs
Stanford
Where graduates go
Duke leads 3 of 5
✓82.6%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
64.7%
✓70.9%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
45.3%
11.7%
Federal clerkships
✓19.5%
✓99.6%
Graduates employed
93.2%
98.2%
First time bar passage
✓99.4%
What it costs
Duke leads 3 of 4
✓$230K
Three year net cost
$317K
✓94%
Students receiving a scholarship
50%
$35,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$52,797/yr
✓$31,136/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$25,112/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Duke 12.9% · Stanford 6.1%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Duke
169171172
Stanford
171173176
166168170172174176178
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Duke
3.833.913.96
Stanford
3.873.964.00
3.753.853.954.05
Duke University
Stanford University
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Frequently asked questions
Is Duke or Stanford better for BigLaw?
Duke placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 82.6% against 64.7%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Duke placed 70.9% and Stanford placed 45.3%. Federal clerkships were 11.7% at Duke and 19.5% at Stanford.
Which is harder to get into, Duke or Stanford?
Duke's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 171 and a median GPA of 3.91, with a 12.9% acceptance rate. Stanford's had 173 and 3.96, with 6.1%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Duke or Stanford?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $230K at Duke and $317K at Stanford, including living costs. Public schools are shown at out of state tuition. Your own scholarship can move these numbers a lot, so add your numbers above for an estimate.
Which gives more scholarship money, Duke or Stanford?
94% of Duke students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $35,000 a year among recipients. Stanford awards aid on financial need only.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
98.2% of Duke's first time takers passed in 2025, against 99.4% at Stanford. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Duke or Stanford?
It depends on your goals, your odds and your offers. Compare where each school's graduates end up, then add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances and scholarships at both. Your scholarship offer usually changes the cost more than anything else.
What a higher LSAT changes
Move the LSAT slider in the admissions calculator to watch your odds and scholarship estimates change at every school.
Figures come from each school’s official ABA disclosures. Admission chances and scholarship estimates are modeled from that data and are not predictions of any individual decision. Our data and methodology