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Northwestern 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
- Northwestern places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 73.1% of the Class of 2025, against 62.1% at Southern California.
- =About the same cost. Three years come to roughly $242K at Northwestern and $239K at Southern California after the average scholarship.
- Northwestern is harder to get into: a 173 median LSAT and a 12.3% acceptance rate, against 169 and 11.2% at Southern California.
- Southern California has the higher first time bar pass rate: 94.1% against 91.8%.
Northwestern
vs
Southern California
Where graduates go
Northwestern leads 3 of 5
✓73.1%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
62.1%
✓67.4%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
58.6%
✓5.7%
Federal clerkships
3.5%
97.3%
Graduates employed
✓97.4%
91.8%
First time bar passage
✓94.1%
What it costs
Southern California leads 4 of 4
$242K
Three year net cost
✓$239K
76%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓95%
$40,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$40,092/yr
$28,190/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$38,654/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Northwestern 12.3% · Southern California 11.2%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Northwestern
167173175
Southern California
165169170
162164166168170172174176178
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Northwestern
3.763.964.00
Southern California
3.733.913.97
3.653.753.853.954.05
Northwestern University
University of Southern California
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Frequently asked questions
Is Northwestern or Southern California better for BigLaw?
Northwestern placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 73.1% against 62.1%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Northwestern placed 67.4% and Southern California placed 58.6%. Federal clerkships were 5.7% at Northwestern and 3.5% at Southern California.
Which is harder to get into, Northwestern or Southern California?
Northwestern's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 173 and a median GPA of 3.96, with a 12.3% 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, Northwestern or Southern California?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $242K at Northwestern 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, Northwestern or Southern California?
76% of Northwestern students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $40,000 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?
91.8% of Northwestern'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 Northwestern 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