Home / Compare / California-Irvine vs Southern California
California-Irvine vs Southern California
University of California-Irvine Law School · Irvine, CA | University of Southern California Law School · Los Angeles, CA
This pairing is listed because these two schools are same state, similar selectivity in California — the circumstances in which one school is a realistic alternative to the other.
Side by side
All figures from the 2025 ABA 509 reporting cycle. Bold marks the stronger figure on each row where a direction exists.
| Measure | California-Irvine | Southern California | Difference |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acceptance rate | 14.92% | 11.17% | +3.8 |
| Median LSAT | 169 | 169 | identical |
| Median GPA | 3.8 | 3.91 | −0 |
| Annual tuition | $59,080 | $84,034 | −24,954 |
| 3-year total cost | $261,222 | $352,902 | −91,680 |
| Median grant / year | $25,000 | $40,092 | −15,092 |
| Net tuition after grant | not reported | not reported | — |
| First-year class size | 189 | 228 | −39 |
| Offer yield | not reported | not reported | — |
| Class fill | 99.5% | 99.6% | −0.1 |
| Bar pass (1st time) | 89.9% | 94.1% | −4.3 |
Bold is not a recommendation. On cost and acceptance it marks the lower number; on grant aid and bar passage the higher one. Where no direction applies — median LSAT, GPA and class size — nothing is bolded, because a higher median LSAT is not obviously better than a lower one for a given applicant.
Where the two differ most
Ranked by the size of the gap relative to Southern California's figure. These are the differences most likely to change a decision.
| Measure | California-Irvine | Southern California | Gap |
|---|---|---|---|
| Median grant / year | $25,000 | $40,092 | −15,092in dollars |
| Acceptance rate | 14.92% | 11.17% | +3.8percentage points |
| Annual tuition | $59,080 | $84,034 | −24,954in dollars |
| 3-year total cost | $261,222 | $352,902 | −91,680in dollars |
Cost compared
Both schools report tuition, mandatory fees and living costs, so a full three-year figure can be computed for each. This is the comparison that tuition-only rankings cannot make.
| Component (per year) | California-Irvine | Southern California |
|---|---|---|
| Annual tuition | $59,080 | $84,034 |
| 3-year total cost | $261,222 | $352,902 |
| Median grant / year | $25,000 | $40,092 |
| Net tuition after median grant | — | — |
Net tuition subtracts the median grant from annual tuition. It is an optimistic floor: the median covers only students who received aid, and it assumes the same award holds for all three years. See the full cost ranking for every school.
Outcomes compared
| Measure | California-Irvine | Southern California |
|---|---|---|
| First-time bar passage | 89.9% | 94.1% |
| Offer yield | 33.9% | 28.2% |
| Class fill | 99.5% | 99.6% |
| Students enrolled | 188 | 227 |
| First-year class size | 189 | 228 |
The national median offer yield is 31.6%. Offer yield measures how many admitted students chose each school; class fill measures whether the class was filled. A low yield is common and usually reflects a wide offer policy rather than a school students avoid.
Choosing between them
- There is no better school here, only a different one. These figures describe cohort averages. Where your own profile falls relative to a school's admitted range matters more than any published median.
- Cost is a family question, not a ranking. The three-year figure covers tuition, fees and published living costs. It does not include books, a laptop, travel home, or the income lost to three years of not working.
- Grant figures are history, not offers. Both medians describe past cohorts. Your award depends on your circumstances, the school's policy and its aid budget that year.
- Bar passage is heavily shaped by selectivity. A school that admits broadly and passes fewer of its own admittees is not necessarily providing a weaker education; the comparison is confounded by who each school chooses.
Full details on each school
| California-Irvine | Southern California | |
|---|---|---|
| Admissions data | All California-Irvine admissions data | All Southern California admissions data |
| Admissions funnel | Funnel & yield | Funnel & yield |
| Financial aid | Grants & aid bands | Grants & aid bands |
| Cost | Cost of attendance | Cost of attendance |
Other comparisons
Other Southern California pairings, and other alternatives to California-Irvine.
- No further pairings available for these two schools.
Common questions
What is the acceptance rate at California-Irvine vs Southern California?
California-Irvine admitted 14.92% of applicants while Southern California admitted 11.17%.
Which is cheaper, California-Irvine or Southern California?
Over three years, California-Irvine costs $91,680 less. California-Irvine runs $261,222 and Southern California runs $352,902, including tuition, mandatory fees and disclosed living costs.
Which school offers more financial aid, California-Irvine or Southern California?
California-Irvine reports a median grant of $25,000 per year for full-time students, compared with $40,092 at Southern California. Median figures describe past cohorts and are not aid offers.
Source: ABA Standard 509 Required Disclosures, 2025 reporting cycle, for University of California-Irvine Law School and University of Southern California Law School. Three-year cost totals multiply one year of disclosed tuition, mandatory fees and living costs by three; the 509 does not disclose program length. Figures describe the most recent entering class and past aid cohorts. Not financial advice and not a recommendation of either school.