Santa Clara University vs University of Pittsburgh
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
- Pittsburgh places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 18.9% of the Class of 2025, against 17.2% at Santa Clara.
- Pittsburgh costs about $83K less over three years after the average scholarship: $153K against $236K, and more of its students get a scholarship (82% vs 61%).
- Pittsburgh is harder to get into: a 160 median LSAT and a 34.9% acceptance rate, against 159 and 52.6% at Santa Clara.
- Pittsburgh has the higher first time bar pass rate: 93.0% against 82.0%.
Santa Clara
vs
Pittsburgh
Where graduates go
Pittsburgh leads 4 of 5
17.2%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
✓18.9%
✓16.7%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
15.6%
0.5%
Federal clerkships
✓3.3%
84.3%
Graduates employed
✓89.3%
82.0%
First time bar passage
✓93.0%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
$236K
Three year net cost
✓$153K
61%
Students receiving a scholarship
✓82%
✓$40,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
$30,000/yr
✓$24,732/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$24,442/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Santa Clara 52.6% · Pittsburgh 34.9%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Santa Clara
157159162
Pittsburgh
158160163
154156158160162164166
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Santa Clara
3.213.503.74
Pittsburgh
3.263.543.74
3.153.253.353.453.553.653.75
Santa Clara University
University of Pittsburgh
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Frequently asked questions
Is Santa Clara or Pittsburgh better for BigLaw?
Pittsburgh placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 18.9% against 17.2%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Santa Clara placed 16.7% and Pittsburgh placed 15.6%. Federal clerkships were 0.5% at Santa Clara and 3.3% at Pittsburgh.
Which is harder to get into, Santa Clara or Pittsburgh?
Santa Clara's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 159 and a median GPA of 3.50, with a 52.6% acceptance rate. Pittsburgh's had 160 and 3.54, with 34.9%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Santa Clara or Pittsburgh?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $236K at Santa Clara and $153K at Pittsburgh, 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, Santa Clara or Pittsburgh?
61% of Santa Clara students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $40,000 a year among recipients. 82% of Pittsburgh students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $30,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
82.0% of Santa Clara's first time takers passed in 2025, against 93.0% at Pittsburgh. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Santa Clara or Pittsburgh?
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