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Cardozo School of Law logo

Cardozo School of Law

New York City, New York

Rank #53 (USNWR 2021)

164
LSAT
3.74
GPA
38.0%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2021 admissions cycle

164
LSAT
3.74
GPA
38.0%
Admit Rate

Cardozo School of Law is a prestigious JD program located in New York City, New York. In the competitive 2021 law school rankings, Cardozo School of Law was ranked 53 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2021 admissions cycle, Cardozo School of Law has an entering 1L class size of approximately 322 with an acceptance rate of 38.0%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
CARDOZO SCHOOL OF LAW Cardozo Dozo
Law School Applications
3820
JD application volume in 2021 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
38.0%
70th percentile
JD Program Size
322
86th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$131k

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Cardozo School of Law Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2021-2022 Cycle Overview
446 applicants
Accepted
12 / 124
Waitlisted
100
Rejected
34
-
Withdrawn
125
-

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 2021 admissions cycle at Cardozo School of Law, 3820 candidates submitted JD applications and 1178 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 38.0%.

The JD program at Cardozo School of Law enrolls a first-year class of 322 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 26.4%. This means that of the 1178 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 311 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 Cardozo School of Law, 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
3820
83rd percentile
Admission Offers 1178
Class Size
322
86th percentile
Acceptance Rate
38.0%
70th percentile
Yield Rate
26.4%
27th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 154.73 162.91 165.51
GPA 3.2 3.52 3.64
Softs T3.16 T3.29 T3.27
Avg Scholarship - - $123,156
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
81st percentile
160 164 166
GPA
77th percentile
3.53 3.74 3.86
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 159.0 (-1.0) 163.0 (-1.0) 167.0 (+1.0)
GPA 3.3 (-0.23) 3.6 (-0.14) 3.79 (-0.07)
* Based on 446 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 77 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 71 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.7%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 66.7%

The above statistics show that Cardozo School of Law typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 160 (25th percentile) to 166 (75th percentile), with a median of 164.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.53 to 3.86, with a median of 3.74.

With an acceptance rate of 38.0%, Cardozo School of Law 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

Cardozo School of Law Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 446 apps

Cardozo School of Law Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

90.1%
65th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

90.83%
74th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$135,000
Private Sector
82nd percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

80.8%
71st percentile

BigLaw Placement

18.3%
81st percentile

Federal Clerkships

0.9%
37th percentile

School-Funded Positions

0.3%

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 261 4 265 82.0%
JD Advantage 23 3 26 8.0%
Professional 2 0.6%
Other 2 0.6%
School-Funded 1 0 1 0.3%
Total Employed 285 7 0 0 296 91.6%
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 53.9%
67th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 5.3%
37th percentile
Government 9.6%
43rd percentile
Public Interest 9.0%
68th percentile
Business 13.9%
77th percentile
Academia 0.0%
0th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 3 0.9%
37th percentile
State/Local 14 4.3%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
90.83%
74th percentile
Takers: 327
Passed: 297
vs State Avg +5.5%
Ultimate Pass Rate
97.03%
86th percentile
Takers: 269
Passed: 261
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
85.33%
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 $135,000
82nd percentile
25th Percentile $65,000
51st percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $70,000
98th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at Cardozo School of Law is $131k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $58k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at Cardozo School of Law, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $135,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $70,000. 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 53.9% of Cardozo School of Law JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 5.3% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 9.0% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 90.1% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from Cardozo School of Law, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 90.83%. Within two years, 97.03% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +5.5% 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.