Mercer University vs University of Dayton
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
- Dayton places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 7.6% of the Class of 2025, against 6.3% at Mercer.
- Dayton costs about $59K less over three years after the average scholarship: $93K against $153K, and more of its students get a scholarship (100% vs 87%).
- Dayton is harder to get into: a 157 median LSAT and a 30.7% acceptance rate, against 157 and 37.8% at Mercer.
Mercer
vs
Dayton
Where graduates go
Dayton leads 4 of 5
6.3%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓7.6%
4.9%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓7.6%
✓1.4%
Federal clerkships
0.0%
94.4%
Graduates employed
✓95.7%
86.5%
First time bar passage
✓87.5%
What it costs
Dayton leads 4 of 4
$153K
Three year net cost
✓$93K
87%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓100%
$20,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$33,000/yr
$17,467/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$29,675/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Mercer 37.8% · Dayton 30.7%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Mercer
155157160
Dayton
154157160
152154156158160162
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Mercer
3.303.623.80
Dayton
3.313.603.87
3.253.353.453.553.653.753.853.95
Mercer University
University of Dayton
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Frequently asked questions
Is Mercer or Dayton better for BigLaw?
Dayton placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 7.6% against 6.3%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Mercer placed 4.9% and Dayton placed 7.6%. Federal clerkships were 1.4% at Mercer and 0.0% at Dayton.
Which is harder to get into, Mercer or Dayton?
Mercer's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 157 and a median GPA of 3.62, with a 37.8% acceptance rate. Dayton's had 157 and 3.60, with 30.7%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Mercer or Dayton?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $153K at Mercer and $93K at Dayton, 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, Mercer or Dayton?
87% of Mercer students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $20,000 a year among recipients. 100% of Dayton students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $33,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
86.5% of Mercer's first time takers passed in 2025, against 87.5% at Dayton. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Mercer or Dayton?
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