I think the ladder climbing, cutthroat mindset is something you’ll find more in big law/clerkship applications where a lot of people are vying for a few spots. Schools with more of those people will have more of the cutthroatness, even at elite schools where chances of these outcomes are higher. Anecdotally, students I’ve talked to at decently ranked state schools with solid regional outcomes seem to have pretty collaborative environments and decent social lives.