University of Colorado vs University of Maryland
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
- Colorado places more graduates in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 14.6% of the Class of 2025, against 12.0% at Maryland.
- Colorado costs about $39K less over three years after the average scholarship: $170K against $209K, and more of its students get a scholarship (87% vs 79%).
- Maryland is harder to get into: a 164 median LSAT and a 26.1% acceptance rate, against 164 and 27.6% at Colorado.
- Colorado has the higher first time bar pass rate: 89.7% against 81.7%.
Colorado
vs
Maryland
Where graduates go
Colorado leads 4 of 5
✓14.6%
BigLaw + federal clerkships
12.0%
✓14.0%
BigLaw (501+ attorney firms)
10.1%
0.6%
Federal clerkships
✓1.9%
✓98.1%
Graduates employed
95.7%
✓89.7%
First time bar passage
81.7%
What it costs
Even, 2 each
✓$170K
Three year net cost
$209K
✓87%
Students receiving a scholarship
79%
$15,000/yr
Median scholarship (recipients)
✓$28,000/yr
$15,927/yr
Average scholarship (all students)
✓$21,093/yr
Who gets in
Acceptance rate: Colorado 27.6% · Maryland 26.1%
LSAT
Bars run from the 25th to the 75th percentile, with the median marked.
Colorado
161164167
Maryland
156164166
154156158160162164166168170
GPA
Undergraduate GPA of the entering class, same scale for both schools.
Colorado
3.623.813.91
Maryland
3.373.723.88
3.303.403.503.603.703.803.904.00
University of Colorado
University of Maryland
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Frequently asked questions
Is Colorado or Maryland better for BigLaw?
Colorado placed more of its Class of 2025 in BigLaw or federal clerkships: 14.6% against 12.0%. By BigLaw alone (firms of 501+ attorneys), Colorado placed 14.0% and Maryland placed 10.1%. Federal clerkships were 0.6% at Colorado and 1.9% at Maryland.
Which is harder to get into, Colorado or Maryland?
Colorado's Fall 2025 entering class had a median LSAT of 164 and a median GPA of 3.81, with a 27.6% acceptance rate. Maryland's had 164 and 3.72, with 26.1%. Add your LSAT and GPA above to see your estimated chances at both.
Which costs less, Colorado or Maryland?
After the average scholarship, three years cost about $170K at Colorado and $209K at Maryland, 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, Colorado or Maryland?
87% of Colorado students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $15,000 a year among recipients. 79% of Maryland students receive a scholarship, with a median award of $28,000 a year among recipients.
Which has the better bar passage rate?
89.7% of Colorado's first time takers passed in 2025, against 81.7% at Maryland. Each school's profile shows how that compares with the states where its graduates sat.
Should I choose Colorado or Maryland?
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