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Northeastern University vs University of Iowa

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

  • Iowa places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 22.8% of the Class of 2025, against 18.8% at Northeastern.
  • Iowa costs about $8K less over three years after the average scholarship: $170K against $179K.
  • Northeastern is harder to get into: a 164 median LSAT and a 24.2% acceptance rate, against 164 and 44.3% at Iowa.
Northeastern
vs
Iowa

Where graduates go

Iowa leads 5 of 5

18.8%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓22.8%
16.4%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓17.7%
2.3%
Federal clerkships
✓5.1%
90.1%
Graduates employed
✓98.7%
90.5%
First time bar passage
✓91.4%

What it costs

Northeastern leads 3 of 4

$179K
Three year net cost
✓$170K
✓95%
Students receiving a scholarship
77%
✓$31,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$30,043/yr
✓$29,245/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$21,920/yr

Who gets in

Acceptance rate: Northeastern 24.2% · Iowa 44.3%

LSAT

Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.

Northeastern
161164166
Iowa
161164165
158160162164166168

GPA

Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.

Northeastern
3.613.773.86
Iowa
3.623.783.92
3.553.653.753.853.95

Frequently asked questions

Is Northeastern or Iowa better for BigLaw?
Iowa placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 22.8% against 18.8%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Northeastern placed 16.4% and Iowa placed 17.7%. Federal clerkships were 2.3% at Northeastern and 5.1% at Iowa.
Which is harder to get into, Northeastern or Iowa?
Northeastern's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 164 and a median GPA of 3.77, with a 24.2% acceptance rate. Iowa's had 164 and 3.78, with 44.3%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Northeastern or Iowa?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $179K at Northeastern and $170K at Iowa, 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, Northeastern or Iowa?
95% of Northeastern students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $31,000 a year among recipients. 77% of Iowa students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $30,043 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
90.5% of Northeastern's first time takers passed in 2025, against 91.4% at Iowa. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Northeastern or Iowa?
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.

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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

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