Northern Kentucky University vs University of San Francisco
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
- =About the same placement. 13.5% of Northern Kentucky's Class of 2025 and 14.0% of San Francisco's went to BigLaw or federal clerkships.
- Northern Kentucky costs about $71K less over three years after the average scholarship: $150K against $221K.
- San Francisco is harder to get into: a 155 median LSAT and a 42.4% acceptance rate, against 154 and 58.7% at Northern Kentucky.
- San Francisco has the higher first time bar pass rate: 80.9% against 76.2%.
Northern Kentucky
vs
San Francisco
Where graduates go
San Francisco leads 3 of 5
13.5%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓14.0%
11.5%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
✓14.0%
✓2.1%
Federal clerkships
0.0%
✓90.6%
Graduates employed
86.8%
76.2%
First time bar passage
✓80.9%
What it costs
San Francisco leads 3 of 4
✓$150K
Three year net cost
$221K
58%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓62%
$18,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$33,718/yr
$10,460/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$20,355/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Northern Kentucky 58.7% · San Francisco 42.4%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Northern Kentucky
152154157
San Francisco
152155157
150152154156158160
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Northern Kentucky
3.153.413.68
San Francisco
3.163.473.68
3.103.203.303.403.503.603.70
Northern Kentucky University
University of San Francisco
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Frequently asked questions
Is Northern Kentucky or San Francisco better for BigLaw?
San Francisco placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 14.0% against 13.5%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Northern Kentucky placed 11.5% and San Francisco placed 14.0%. Federal clerkships were 2.1% at Northern Kentucky and 0.0% at San Francisco.
Which is harder to get into, Northern Kentucky or San Francisco?
Northern Kentucky's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 154 and a median GPA of 3.41, with a 58.7% acceptance rate. San Francisco's had 155 and 3.47, with 42.4%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Northern Kentucky or San Francisco?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $150K at Northern Kentucky and $221K at San Francisco, 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, Northern Kentucky or San Francisco?
58% of Northern Kentucky students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $18,000 a year among recipients. 62% of San Francisco students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $33,718 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
76.2% of Northern Kentucky's first time takers passed in 2025, against 80.9% at San Francisco. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Northern Kentucky or San Francisco?
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