University of California, Davis 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
- =About the same placement. 23.5% of UC Davis's Class of 2025 and 22.8% of Iowa's went to BigLaw or federal clerkships.
- Iowa costs about $71K less over three years after the average scholarship: $170K against $241K.
- UC Davis is harder to get into: a 165 median LSAT and a 16.0% acceptance rate, against 164 and 44.3% at Iowa.
- UC Davis has the higher first time bar pass rate: 93.2% against 91.4%.
UC Davis
vs
Iowa
Where graduates go
UC Davis leads 3 of 5
✓23.5%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
22.8%
✓22.1%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
17.7%
1.5%
Federal clerkships
✓5.1%
96.1%
Graduates employed
✓98.7%
✓93.2%
First time bar passage
91.4%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
$241K
Three year net cost
✓$170K
✓99%
Students receiving a scholarship
77%
$25,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$30,043/yr
✓$24,896/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
$21,920/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: UC Davis 16.0% · Iowa 44.3%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
UC Davis
160165167
Iowa
161164165
158160162164166168170
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
UC Davis
3.493.703.87
Iowa
3.623.783.92
3.403.503.603.703.803.904.00
University of California, Davis
University of Iowa
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Frequently asked questions
Is UC Davis or Iowa better for BigLaw?
UC Davis placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 23.5% against 22.8%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), UC Davis placed 22.1% and Iowa placed 17.7%. Federal clerkships were 1.5% at UC Davis and 5.1% at Iowa.
Which is harder to get into, UC Davis or Iowa?
UC Davis's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 165 and a median GPA of 3.70, with a 16.0% 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, UC Davis or Iowa?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $241K at UC Davis 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, UC Davis or Iowa?
99% of UC Davis students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $25,000 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?
93.2% of UC Davis'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 UC Davis 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.
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