New York University vs University of Southern California
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
- New York places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 67.6% of the Class of 2025, against 62.1% at Southern California.
- Southern California costs about $85K less over three years after the average scholarship: $239K against $323K, and more of its students get a scholarship (95% vs 66%).
- New York is harder to get into: a 172 median LSAT and a 13.4% acceptance rate, against 169 and 11.2% at Southern California.
- New York has the higher first time bar pass rate: 96.9% against 94.1%.
New York
vs
Southern California
Where graduates go
New York leads 5 of 5
✓67.6%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
62.1%
✓62.1%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
58.6%
✓5.5%
Federal clerkships
3.5%
✓99.3%
Graduates employed
97.4%
✓96.9%
First time bar passage
94.1%
What it costs
Southern California leads 4 of 4
$323K
Three year net cost
✓$239K
66%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓95%
$20,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$40,092/yr
$15,499/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$38,654/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: New York 13.4% · Southern California 11.2%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
New York
169172174
Southern California
165169170
162164166168170172174176
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
New York
3.813.923.97
Southern California
3.733.913.97
3.653.753.853.954.05
New York University
University of Southern California
More comparisons with New York
More comparisons with Southern California
Frequently asked questions
Is New York or Southern California better for BigLaw?
New York placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 67.6% against 62.1%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), New York placed 62.1% and Southern California placed 58.6%. Federal clerkships were 5.5% at New York and 3.5% at Southern California.
Which is harder to get into, New York or Southern California?
New York's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 172 and a median GPA of 3.92, with a 13.4% acceptance rate. Southern California's had 169 and 3.91, with 11.2%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, New York or Southern California?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $323K at New York and $239K at Southern California, 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, New York or Southern California?
66% of New York students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $20,000 a year among recipients. 95% of Southern California students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $40,092 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
96.9% of New York's first time takers passed in 2025, against 94.1% at Southern California. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose New York or Southern California?
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