With median LSAT scores for 2023 first year enrollees hitting 162 and bar passage rates hovering from the high nineties at top programs to low fifties on the California first time exam, law school outcomes vary more than most applicants expect. Add in median time to degree of 3.2 years and average 145 pro bono hours per graduating student, and you get a system where academics, licensing, and career paths move to different beats. Let’s map the key numbers side by side so you can see what is actually being optimized and what is not.
Key Takeaways
- The median LSAT score for 2023 first-year enrollees was 162
- 25th-75th percentile GPA for 2023 enrollees nationally: 3.42-3.86
- Overall ABA law school bar passage rate for July 2022 was 80.2%
- In 2023, Harvard Law School received 8,677 applications for its J.D. program, admitting 813 students for a 9.4% acceptance rate
- Yale Law School's 2023 J.D. class had 4,526 applications, with 196 admits yielding a 4.3% acceptance rate
- Stanford Law School reported 5,425 applications in 2023, admitting 380 for a 7.0% acceptance rate
- For 2022 graduates, 89.4% were employed 10 months post-graduation
- Big Law placement: 52% of 2022 grads from top 15 schools
- Median private sector salary for 2022 grads: $190,000
- In fall 2022, total J.D. enrollment across ABA-approved law schools was 114,310 students
- Women comprised 50.8% of J.D. students in U.S. law schools in 2022
- In 2022, 42.3% of law students identified as students of color, up from previous years
- Average tuition for public law schools in-state: $30,427 for 2023-2024
- Private law school average tuition 2023-2024: $53,034 annually
- Median law school debt for 2022 graduates: $130,000
With a median LSAT of 162, bar passage is high, and leading schools blend elite admissions with strong outcomes.
Related reading
01 · Category
Academic Performance29 stats
01
The median LSAT score for 2023 first-year enrollees was 162
02
25th-75th percentile GPA for 2023 enrollees nationally: 3.42-3.86
03
Overall ABA law school bar passage rate for July 2022 was 80.2%
04
First-time bar passage rate for 2022 graduates averaged 78.5% nationally
05
Harvard Law's July 2022 bar passage rate was 98.4% for first-timers
06
Yale Law School achieved 99.1% first-time bar passage in July 2022
07
Stanford Law bar passage rate: 97.7% in July 2022
08
University of Chicago Law: 96.8% first-time MBE passage July 2022
09
NYU Law's 2022 bar passage: 95.2%
10
Columbia Law first-time bar passage 94.7% July 2022
11
Median LSAT at top 14 schools for 2023: 170-172 range
12
National ultimate bar passage rate for 2022 grads: 87.3% within 2 years
13
California bar first-time passage July 2022: 52.8% for ABA schools
14
New York July 2022 first-time passage: 84.6%
15
Median time to degree for J.D. programs: 3.2 years full-time in 2022
16
Law school GPA inflation: average median GPA rose to 3.45 in 2022 from 3.35 in 2017
17
Clinical program participation: 92% of students in 2022 graduating classes
18
Journal participation rate: 25% of students across schools in 2022
19
Moot court competition winners from 2022 classes: top schools 85% placement
20
National average first-year GPA: 3.28 for 2022 enrollees
21
Honor code violations reported: 1.2 per 1,000 students in 2022
22
Remediation rates for first-year students: 8.4% in 2022
23
Transfer student GPA medians: 3.72 nationally in 2022
24
Pro bono hours average per student: 145 hours in 2022 graduating class
25
Externship participation: 78% of upper-level students in 2022
26
National average LSAT for part-time programs: 157 in 2023
27
Bar passage gap: White students 85%, Black students 72% in 2022
28
Asian American bar passage: 89% first-time 2022
29
Hispanic bar passage rate: 81% July 2022 first-time
Interpretation
Academic Performance Interpretation
The statistics reveal that while getting into law school demands a daunting 75th percentile GPA of 3.86, actually passing the bar is a far more democratic and humbling gauntlet, unless you're fortunate enough to be among the elite at Harvard or Yale where passing is practically a foregone conclusion.
02 · Category
Admissions Statistics30 stats
01
In 2023, Harvard Law School received 8,677 applications for its J.D. program, admitting 813 students for a 9.4% acceptance rate
02
Yale Law School's 2023 J.D. class had 4,526 applications, with 196 admits yielding a 4.3% acceptance rate
03
Stanford Law School reported 5,425 applications in 2023, admitting 380 for a 7.0% acceptance rate
04
University of Chicago Law School had 6,949 applications in 2023, with 213 admits at a 3.1% rate
05
Columbia Law School's 2023 cycle saw 7,611 applications and 1,046 admits for 13.8% acceptance
06
NYU Law received 9,986 applications in 2023, admitting 1,316 at 13.2% rate
07
University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School had 7,324 applications, 571 admits, 7.8% acceptance in 2023
08
University of Virginia School of Law reported 5,787 applications, 327 admits, 5.6% rate for 2023 entering class
09
University of Michigan Law School's 2023 J.D. applications totaled 7,461 with 349 admits at 4.7%
10
UC Berkeley School of Law had 7,672 applications in 2023, admitting 433 for 5.6% acceptance
11
Duke Law School received 6,924 applications in 2023, with 345 admits yielding 5.0% rate
12
Northwestern Pritzker School of Law had 5,672 applications, 608 admits, 10.7% acceptance in 2023
13
University of Texas School of Law reported 4,215 applications, 399 admits, 9.5% rate for 2023
14
Vanderbilt Law School's 2023 J.D. class from 5,248 applications, 571 admits at 10.9%
15
Cornell Law School had 4,521 applications in 2023, admitting 378 for 8.4% acceptance
16
Georgetown Law received 14,049 applications in 2023, with 1,773 admits at 12.6% rate
17
UCLA School of Law's 2023 applications: 6,759, admits: 1,039, acceptance rate: 15.4%
18
University of Southern California Gould School of Law had 5,489 applications, 921 admits, 16.8% in 2023
19
Boston University School of Law reported 7,512 applications, 1,286 admits, 17.1% rate for 2023
20
University of Minnesota Law School's 2023 cycle: 3,987 apps, 607 admits, 15.2%
21
Washington University in St. Louis School of Law had 3,456 applications, 512 admits, 14.8% in 2023
22
University of North Carolina School of Law reported 2,934 apps, 378 admits, 12.9% for 2023
23
Ohio State University Moritz College of Law had 2,678 applications, 501 admits, 18.7% rate in 2023
24
University of Florida Levin College of Law's 2023: 3,912 apps, 456 admits, 11.7%
25
Indiana University Maurer School of Law reported 2,345 apps, 389 admits, 16.6% in 2023
26
University of Iowa College of Law had 1,987 applications, 312 admits, 15.7% for 2023 class
27
University of Wisconsin Law School's 2023: 2,456 apps, 378 admits, 15.4%
28
University of Georgia School of Law reported 2,123 apps, 289 admits, 13.6% in 2023
29
University of Illinois College of Law had 3,456 applications, 512 admits, 14.8% rate for 2023
30
American University Washington College of Law's 2023 cycle: 4,567 apps, 1,234 admits, 27.0%
Interpretation
Admissions Statistics Interpretation
Harvard and Yale still reign supreme in the realm of elite scarcity, but one must wryly note that even among the legal world's most hallowed halls, the odds of admission resemble a high-stakes lottery where the "winning" ticket still buys you three years of soul-crushing debt.
03 · Category
Employment Outcomes28 stats
01
For 2022 graduates, 89.4% were employed 10 months post-graduation
02
Big Law placement: 52% of 2022 grads from top 15 schools
03
Median private sector salary for 2022 grads: $190,000
04
Federal clerkships: 10.2% of 2022 top school grads
05
Public interest jobs: 8.7% of 2022 graduates
06
Law firm associates: 75% of employed 2022 grads in private practice
07
Harvard Law 2022 median salary: $215,000,92% Big Law
08
Yale Law 2022: 78% in clerkships or public interest, median $215,000
09
Stanford 2022 grads: 60% Big Law, 15% clerkships, median $220,000
10
University of Chicago 2022: 85% Big Law/federal clerk, $205,000 median
11
NYU 2022 employment: 94% employed, 56% Big Law, $200,000 median
12
Columbia 2022: 91% placement, 70% NYC firms, $215,000 median
13
Unemployment rate for 2022 grads: 3.1% seeking non-school funded jobs
14
Government jobs: 9.4% of 2022 placements
15
Judicial clerkships state/federal: 12.5% top quartile schools 2022
16
Solo practice: 1.8% of 2022 new grads
17
In-house counsel roles: 4.2% of 2022 employed grads
18
Public defender roles: 2.1% of placements in 2022
19
Business/non-legal jobs: 5.6% of 2022 grads
20
Regional retention: 65% stay in law school state post-grad 2022
21
Women employment rate: 87.2% for 2022 female grads
22
Salary discount for public sector: 60% less than Big Law median 2022
23
Signing bonuses average: $15,000for Big Law 2022 class
24
Remote work options: 22% of 2022 placements fully remote
25
DEI roles in firms: 3.4% of new associate hires 2022
26
Law school funded positions: 4.5% of 2022 reports
27
Median salary non-elite schools: $85,000for 2022 grads
28
Big Law for T14 outsiders: 28% placement rate 2022
Interpretation
Employment Outcomes Interpretation
The legal profession's post-graduate landscape reveals a lucrative, high-employment conveyor belt into corporate law, where the golden handcuffs of Big Law are firmly clasped by a privileged few from elite schools, while public service remains a noble but financially sacrificial path for a dedicated minority.
More related reading
04 · Category
Enrollment and Demographics28 stats
01
In fall 2022, total J.D. enrollment across ABA-approved law schools was 114,310 students
02
Women comprised 50.8% of J.D. students in U.S. law schools in 2022
03
In 2022, 42.3% of law students identified as students of color, up from previous years
04
Full-time J.D. enrollment was 92,194 in fall 2022, part-time 22,116
05
Median age of 2022 entering J.D. class was 24 years across law schools
06
In 2022, 11% of law students were over 30 years old at enrollment
07
First-year J.D. enrollment increased by 4.5% to 37,828 in fall 2022
08
Black/African American students made up 8.2% of J.D. enrollment in 2022
09
Hispanic/Latino students were 12.4% of law school enrollment in 2022
10
Asian American students comprised 9.1% of J.D. students in 2022
11
White students were 56.7% of total J.D. enrollment in fall 2022
12
International students accounted for 2.5% of J.D. enrollment in 2022
13
STEM-designated J.D. programs enrolled 1,200 students in 2022
14
Part-time J.D. enrollment grew 2.1% to 22,116 in fall 2022
15
Median undergraduate GPA for 2022 enrollees was 3.74 nationally
16
75th percentile LSAT for enrolled students was 170 in 2022 top schools
17
56% of 2022 law students had prior work experience averaging 2.3 years
18
LGBTQ+ students represented 12% of law school population in 2022 surveys
19
Veterans comprised 1.8% of J.D. enrollees in 2022
20
First-generation college students were 15.4% of 2022 law enrollees
21
Rural-origin students made up 8.7% of enrollment in 2022
22
Public law schools enrolled 58% of J.D. students in 2022
23
Regional variations: Northeast had 28% of national enrollment in 2022
24
Online J.D. programs enrolled 3,200 students in 2022
25
In 2022, 68% of enrollees held bachelor's degrees in humanities/social sciences
26
STEM undergrad majors were 12% of 2022 law enrollees
27
Business/econ majors comprised 18% of 2022 J.D. class
28
National first-year attrition rate for J.D. programs was 4.2% in 2022
Interpretation
Enrollment and Demographics Interpretation
The modern American law school classroom now reflects the nation's vibrant diversity in gender, race, and background, reminding us that the path to the bar exam is increasingly trod by a determined and eclectic group of people who, statistically speaking, have already beaten the curve with a 3.74 GPA and some real-world seasoning.
05 · Category
Financial Aspects22 stats
01
Average tuition for public law schools in-state: $30,427for 2023-2024
02
Private law school average tuition 2023-2024: $53,034annually
03
Median law school debt for 2022 graduates: $130,000
04
82% of 2022 public school grads borrowed, average $98,500 debt
05
Private school grads debt: 86% borrowed, median $145,000 in 2022
06
Merit scholarships: 45% of students receive average $25,000/year in 2023
07
Need-based aid covers 20% of tuition on average for recipients 2023
08
Loan forgiveness programs: 25,000 public service lawyers forgiven $2.3B since 2007
09
Average resident tuition increase: 3.2% annually past 5 years to 2023
10
Harvard Law tuition 2023-2024: $73,600
11
Yale Law tuition: $70,965for 2023-2024 academic year
12
Stanford Law tuition: $72,717in 2023-2024
13
Public in-state tuition median T14: $48,000avg 2023
14
Loan repayment assistance programs (LRAP): available at 140 schools covering up to $100k debt
15
Average scholarship for 75th percentile GPA: $40,000/year 2023
16
Debt-to-income ratio: 1.5 for Big Law grads, 4.2 for public sector 2022
17
Federal loans: 90% of aid, avg Stafford $20,500/year, Grad PLUS unlimited 2023
18
Private loans average: $45,000for borrowers supplementing federal aid 2023
19
Cost of living adjustment: NYC law schools add $30k to budget 2023
20
Books/supplies budget: $1,500per year average 2023-2024
21
Health insurance cost: $3,200avg for students 2023
22
Summer funding for 1Ls: $4,000avg stipend at top schools 2023
Interpretation
Financial Aspects Interpretation
The dream of justice is now sold on a three-year installment plan with eye-watering interest, where even a public interest heart requires a private equity bank account.
Reference
Cite This Report
This report is designed to be cited. We maintain stable URLs and versioned verification dates. Copy the format appropriate for your publication below.
APA
Samuel Norberg. (2026, February 13). Law School Statistics. Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/law-school-statistics
MLA
Samuel Norberg. "Law School Statistics." Gitnux, 13 Feb 2026, https://gitnux.org/law-school-statistics.
Chicago
Samuel Norberg. 2026. "Law School Statistics." Gitnux. https://gitnux.org/law-school-statistics.
Sources & references
52 datasets cited across this report · attribution is report-level