A good lawyer knows the law; a great lawyer knows the judge.

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Boston College Law School logo

Boston College Law School

Newton, Massachusetts

Rank #25 (USNWR 2024)

167
LSAT
3.80
GPA
13.3%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2024 admissions cycle

167
LSAT
3.80
GPA
13.3%
Admit Rate

Boston College Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Newton, Massachusetts. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, Boston College Law School was ranked 25 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2024 admissions cycle, Boston College Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 220 with an acceptance rate of 13.3%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
BOSTON COLLEGE BC
Law School Applications
6128
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
13.3%
95th percentile
JD Program Size
220
69th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$139k

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Boston College Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
1820 applicants
Accepted
32 / 112
Waitlisted
540
Rejected
380
-
Withdrawn
347
-

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
Graph Navigation:
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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 2024 admissions cycle at Boston College Law School, 6128 candidates submitted JD applications and 813 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 13.3%.

The JD program at Boston College Law School enrolls a first-year class of 220 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 26.2%. This means that of the 813 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 213 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
6128
93rd percentile
Admission Offers 813
Class Size
220
69th percentile
Acceptance Rate
13.3%
95th percentile
Yield Rate
26.2%
30th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 163.68 166.32 169.4
GPA 3.61 3.7 3.8
Softs T3.3 T3.28 T3.3
Avg Scholarship - - $118,880
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
85th percentile
161 167 168
GPA
73rd percentile
3.64 3.80 3.89
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 163.0 (+2.0) 167.0 (0.0) 170.0 (+2.0)
GPA 3.59 (-0.05) 3.78 (-0.02) 3.91 (+0.02)
* Based on 1820 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 104 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 88 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 161 (25th percentile) to 168 (75th percentile), with a median of 167.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.64 to 3.89, with a median of 3.80.

With an acceptance rate of 13.3%, Boston College Law School is considered a highly competitive 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 1820 apps

Boston College Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

94.7%
84th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

95.88%
95th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$215,000
Private Sector
98th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

92.1%
93rd percentile

BigLaw Placement

43.7%
92nd percentile

Federal Clerkships

4.1%
79th percentile

School-Funded Positions

2.1%

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 314 0 314 92.1%
JD Advantage 7 2 9 2.6%
Professional 2 0.6%
Other 1 0.3%
School-Funded 7 0 7 2.1%
Total Employed 328 2 0 0 333 97.7%
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 66.0%
86th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 9.1%
61st percentile
Government 7.9%
20th percentile
Public Interest 8.2%
51st percentile
Business 5.6%
37th percentile
Academia 0.9%
45th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 14 4.1%
79th percentile
State/Local 17 5.0%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
95.88%
95th percentile
Takers: 243
Passed: 233
vs State Avg +16.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
98.18%
90th percentile
Takers: 220
Passed: 216
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
79.49%
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 $215,000
98th percentile
25th Percentile $190,000
97th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $68,000
51st percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at Boston College Law School is $139k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $47k 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 $215,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $68,000. 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 66.0% of Boston College Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 9.1% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 8.2% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 94.7% 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 95.88%. Within two years, 98.18% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +16.4% 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.

Law school: Where you spend three years learning to think like a lawyer, then a lifetime trying to think like a human again.

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