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Boston College Law School

Newton, Massachusetts

Rank #37 (USNWR 2022)

166
LSAT
3.74
GPA
23.5%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2022 admissions cycle

166
LSAT
3.74
GPA
23.5%
Admit Rate

Boston College Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Newton, Massachusetts. In the competitive 2022 law school rankings, Boston College Law School was ranked 37 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2022 admissions cycle, Boston College Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 212 with an acceptance rate of 23.5%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
BOSTON COLLEGE BC
Law School Applications
6022
JD application volume in 2022 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
23.5%
98th percentile
JD Program Size
212
68th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$126k

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Boston College Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2022-2023 Cycle Overview
1062 applicants
Accepted
29 / 96
Waitlisted
290
Rejected
199
-
Withdrawn
242
-

Admissions Graphs

25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

LSAT Score: Law School Admission Test score (120-180 scale)

GPA: Undergraduate Grade Point Average (0.0-4.3+ scale)

This chart shows when decisions were made throughout the application cycle. Use the filters above to refine the data.

How to Use These Graphs
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  • Toggle series: Click on any legend item to show/hide that category (accepted, waitlisted, rejected, unknown)
Advanced Features:
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  • Cycle selection: Use the dropdown in the controls above to view data from different application cycles
  • Demographic filters: Filter by International, URM, Military, or Early Decision status to compare specific groups
  • Custom axes: On the LSAT vs. GPA graph, select different metrics to compare (dates, scholarships, etc.)
  • Compare your stats: Your own stats will appear as a blue diamond when viewing these graphs

Selectivity & Competitiveness Trends

How to interpret this chart:

  • LSAT (blue): Shows the 25th/50th/75th percentiles as a shaded band with median line. Hover to see exact values in format: 165/170/175
  • GPA (green): Shows the 25th/50th/75th percentiles as a shaded band with median line. Hover to see exact values in format: 3.45/3.65/3.85
  • Acceptance Rate (orange): Percentage of applicants who received offers (lower = more selective)
  • Applications (purple dashed): Total number of applications received each year

Rising LSAT/GPA medians, narrowing bands, or falling acceptance rates indicate increasing competitiveness. Click legend items to show/hide metrics.

For law school applicants interested in the 2022 admissions cycle at Boston College Law School, 6022 candidates submitted JD applications and 612 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 23.5%.

The JD program at Boston College Law School enrolls a first-year class of 212 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 28.59%. This means that of the 612 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 175 chose to enroll. Understanding these law school admission statistics can help prospective JD applicants evaluate their chances and plan their application strategy.

For a competitive law school application to Boston College Law School, students should aim to meet or exceed the median statistics shown below. Meeting these GPA and LSAT targets significantly improves your chances of admission.

JD Admission Requirements & Application Statistics

Admissions Metrics (ABA 509)
Metric Value
Applications
6022
92nd percentile
Admission Offers 612
Class Size
212
68th percentile
Acceptance Rate
23.5%
98th percentile
Yield Rate
28.59%
45th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 162.1 165.57 167.74
GPA 3.46 3.65 3.75
Softs T3.27 T3.3 T3.2
Avg Scholarship - - $97,194
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
83rd percentile
162 166 167
GPA
59th percentile
3.55 3.74 3.81
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 162.0 (0.0) 166.0 (0.0) 169.0 (+2.0)
GPA 3.52 (-0.03) 3.74 (0.0) 3.86 (+0.05)
* Based on 1062 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 92 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 76 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that Boston College Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 162 (25th percentile) to 167 (75th percentile), with a median of 166.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.55 to 3.81, with a median of 3.74.

With an acceptance rate of 23.5%, Boston College Law School is considered a selective law school in terms of admissions.

What these numbers mean
  • Percentiles: The 25th/50th/75th percentiles show the distribution of scores among admitted students.
  • Applications: Total number of people who applied to this law school.
  • Acceptance Rate: Percentage of applicants who received offers (lower = more selective).
  • Yield Rate: Percentage of admitted students who enrolled (higher = more desirable).

Application Status Data

Boston College Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 1062 apps

Boston College Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

93.0%
80th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

94.06%
90th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$190,000
Private Sector
96th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

86.8%
81st percentile

BigLaw Placement

40.7%
90th percentile

Federal Clerkships

0.8%
33rd percentile

School-Funded Positions

1.2%

Employment Quality Distribution

Law Firm Employment by Size

Employment Quality Matrix

Employment Type Full-Time
Long-Term
Full-Time
Short-Term
Part-Time
Long-Term
Part-Time
Short-Term
Total % of Grads
Bar Required 224 0 224 86.8%
JD Advantage 15 1 16 6.2%
Professional 1 0.4%
Other 2 0.8%
School-Funded 0 3 3 1.2%
Total Employed 239 4 0 0 246 95.3%
School-Funded: May inflate stats

Generally, if you attend law school, you want to secure a bar-required position. However, at prestigious institutions, students may target specific JD advantage positions such as private equity or elite consulting roles.

Employment by Sector

Distribution

Sector Details

Employment Sector % of Graduates National Percentile
Law Firms 67.8%
93rd percentile
Judicial Clerkships 4.7%
33rd percentile
Government 8.1%
25th percentile
Public Interest 7.0%
38th percentile
Business 6.2%
26th percentile
Academia 1.2%
50th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 2 0.8%
33rd percentile
State/Local 10 3.9%

Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
94.06%
90th percentile
Takers: 219
Passed: 206
vs State Avg +13.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
97.2%
85th percentile
Takers: 250
Passed: 243
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
80.65%
State average for jurisdictions where graduates took the bar
Understanding bar passage metrics

First-time: Immediate readiness indicator

Ultimate: Long-term success within 2 years

vs State: Performance relative to state average

Bar Passage Rates Comparison

Salary Outcomes

Private Sector
Median Salary $190,000
96th percentile
25th Percentile $121,250
95th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $62,500
70th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at Boston College Law School is $126k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $41k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at Boston College Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $190,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $62,500. These post-law school employment outcomes are important factors for evaluating the return on investment for your legal education.

For law school applicants interested in specific legal career paths, it's worth noting that 67.8% of Boston College Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 4.7% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 7.0% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 93.0% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from Boston College Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 94.06%. Within two years, 97.2% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +13.4% compared to the weighted state average. These bar passage metrics are important indicators of how well the law school prepares its students for this crucial professional licensing examination.

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