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The law is reason, free from passion.
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Cooley Law School
Lansing, Michigan
Rank #180 (USNWR 2023)
148
LSAT
3.07
GPA
48.2%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
JD Admissions & Requirements
Data from 2023 admissions cycle
148
LSAT
3.07
GPA
48.2%
Admit Rate
Cooley Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Lansing, Michigan. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, Cooley Law School was ranked 180 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2023 admissions cycle, Cooley Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 146 with an acceptance rate of 48.2%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
Also known as
WESTERN MICHIGAN UNIVERSITY
Law School Applications
1207
JD application volume in 2023 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
48.2%
JD Program Size
146
JD Tuition Cost
-
If the law is on your side, pound the law. If the facts are on your side, pound the facts. If neither the law nor the facts are on your side, pound the table.
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Wisdom from Cooley Law School Admits
3.28 / 172 • University of Minnesota • 5 months ago
I own the WE category in my field. No one has more expertise than me when it comes to being a...
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x
3.11 • University of Dayton • 5 months ago
Non-traditional applicant applying with only JD Next score of 800-84th percentile.
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3.3 / 150 • University of Toledo • 5 months ago
Cycle Notes Stats Undergrad GPA: 3.63 LSAC GPA: 3.30 - first couple semesters in 2020...
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3.89 / 145 • Western Michigan University (Cooley) • 5 months ago
Everything happens for a reason. Work hard and know you’ve done your best. Above all, have...
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Cooley Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2023-2024 Cycle Overview
36 applicants
Accepted
1
/
11
Waitlisted
1
Rejected
3
-
Withdrawn
13
-
Admissions Graphs
Drag the handle in the bottom right of the chart to resize
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
Filters
LSAT Score: Law School Admission Test score (120-180 scale)
GPA: Undergraduate Grade Point Average (0.0-4.3+ scale)
Drag the handle in the bottom right of the chart to resize
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:
- Zoom: Click and drag to zoom into a specific area
- Reset zoom: Double-click anywhere on the graph
- View details: Hover over any point to see detailed information
- Visit profile: Click on any point to open that user's profile page
- Toggle series: Click on any legend item to show/hide that category (accepted, waitlisted, rejected, unknown)
Advanced Features:
- Colorblind mode: Toggle on in the controls above for an alternative color palette
- Export/Print: Click the menu in the top-right corner of any graph to download or print
- 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 2023 admissions cycle at Cooley Law School, 1207 candidates submitted JD applications and 557 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is moderately selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 48.2%.
The JD program at Cooley Law School enrolls a first-year class of 146 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 26.21%. This means that of the 557 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 146 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 Cooley 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 |
1207
|
| Admission Offers | 557 |
| Class Size |
146
|
| Acceptance Rate |
48.2%
|
| Yield Rate |
26.21%
|
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 153.67 | 155.47 | 155.36 |
| GPA | 3.3 | 3.44 | 3.41 |
| Softs | T3.0 | T3.33 | T3.39 |
| Avg Scholarship | - | - | $49,828 |
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
| LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
|
146 | 148 | 151 |
|
GPA
|
2.71 | 3.07 | 3.42 |
| LSD User Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | 25th | 50th | 75th |
| LSAT | 149.25 (+3.25) | 154.0 (+6.0) | 159.0 (+8.0) |
| GPA | 3.28 (+0.57) | 3.49 (+0.42) | 3.75 (+0.33) |
* Based on 36 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 67 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 530 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.0% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | - |
The above statistics show that Cooley Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 146 (25th percentile) to 151 (75th percentile), with a median of 148.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 2.71 to 3.42, with a median of 3.07.
With an acceptance rate of 48.2%, Cooley Law School is considered a moderately 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
Cooley Law School Application Status Data
Application statuses submitted by LSData users
Showing 36 apps
Cooley Law School Law School Employment Outcomes
Overview
JD Employment Rate
70.1%
First-Time Bar Pass
36.0%
Median Starting Salary
-
Private Sector
Employment Quality
JD Required
51.3%
BigLaw Placement
1.6%
Federal Clerkships
0.5%
School-Funded Positions
0.5%
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 ★ | 96 | 8 | — | — | 104 | 55.6% |
| JD Advantage | 19 | 8 | — | — | 27 | 14.4% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 18 | 9.6% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 8 | 4.3% |
| School-Funded | 0 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0.5% |
| Total Employed | 115 | 16 | 0 | 0 | 158 | 84.5% |
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 | 39.6% |
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 1.6% |
|
| Government | 17.1% |
|
| Public Interest | 8.0% |
|
| Business | 17.1% |
|
| Academia | 1.1% |
|
Unemployment Rate: 10.7%
(graduates actively seeking employment)
Judicial Clerkships
Clerkships by Type
| Clerkship Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 1 | 0.5% |
|
| State/Local | 2 | 1.1% | — |
Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.
Bar Examination Performance
First-Time Pass Rate
36.0%
Takers:
250
Passed:
90
vs State Avg
-35.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
61.0%
Takers:
300
Passed:
183
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
71.36%
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
No data available
Public Sector
No data available
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Cooley Law School is - annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $54k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
For JD graduates from Cooley Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 36.0%. Within two years, 61.0% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is -35.4% 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.