Hate ads? Verify your stats for ad-free LSD+ → Hate ads? Verify for LSD+ → Learn More
Connection lost
Server error
Cornell Law School
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2022-2023 cycle — 1141 applicants reporting.
22-23 · selected
21-22 · previous
ABA 509 (2022): 4,913 apps · 857 offers · 210 enrolled · 17.44% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 327 total (incl. 14 from waitlist) · 5.5% yield
Waitlist · 160 total · 8.8% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2022)
97th percentile
|
170 | 172 | 174 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 168 | 171 | 174 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2022)
90th percentile
|
3.76 | 3.87 | 3.94 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.68 | 3.83 | 3.94 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 168.15 | 170.52 | 173.33 |
| GPA | 3.67 | 3.78 | 3.91 |
| Softs | T3.21 | T3.29 | T3.35 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $119,642 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
4913
89th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 857 |
| Class Size |
210
67th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
17.44%
88th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
23.57%
17th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 86 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 81 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 28.0% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 66.3% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2022-2023) decisions (solid) vs. 507 decisions from Previous Cycle (2021-2022) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is Cornell Law School Trending?
Historical LSAT, GPA, and acceptance rate data from ABA 509 reports. Rising medians or falling acceptance rates indicate increasing competitiveness.
LSAT and GPA bands show 25th/50th/75th percentiles; acceptance rate is lower = more selective. Click legend items to show/hide metrics.
Overview
Employment outcomes data from ABA 509 disclosures is shown below.
JD Employment Rate
First-Time Bar Pass
Median Starting Salary
Employment Quality
JD Required
BigLaw Placement
Federal Clerkships
School-Funded Positions
Employment Quality Distribution
Law Firm Employment by Size
Employment Quality Matrix
Bar Required ★ 184 (91.1% of class)
JD Advantage 4 (2.0% of class)
Professional 0 (0.0% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 2 (1.0% of class)
| Employment Type | Full-Time Long-Term |
Full-Time Short-Term |
Part-Time Long-Term |
Part-Time Short-Term |
Total | % of Grads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Required ★ | 183 | 1 | — | — | 184 | 91.1% |
| JD Advantage | 3 | 1 | — | — | 4 | 2.0% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 1.0% |
| Total Employed | 188 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 190 | 94.1% |
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
Sector Details
| Sector | % of Graduates | National Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Law Firms | 84.2% |
100th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 4.0% |
29th percentile
|
| Government | 1.0% |
0th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 3.0% |
4th percentile
|
| Business | 2.0% |
5th percentile
|
| Academia | 0.0% |
0th percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 7 | 3.5% |
74th percentile
|
| State/Local | 1 | 0.5% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 92.23% |
84th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 97.93% |
89th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 83.03% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Cornell Law School is $148k 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).
For JD graduates from Cornell Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 92.23%. Within two years, 97.93% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +9.2% 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.
Cost of Attendance
Annual Tuition
Annual Fees
Cost of Living
Scholarship & Grant Aid
Students Receiving Grants
Median Grant
Grant Range (25th–75th)
Grant Distribution
Conditional Scholarships
This school reports no conditional scholarships.
Admissions Contact
Also known as
Wisdom from Cornell Law School Admits
There is hope for splitters!
Read moreblackletterlaw left no wisdom for posterity… (◕︵◕) Do not let me and the advice I’ve written...
Read more-wrote a Why UVA, I do think that definitely contributed to my fast response from them
Read moreAsk for rec letters ASAP and ask for more than you need! My app materials were all done in...
Read moreNo extra essays for Columbia and Harvard Wrote a Why X for UChicago, NYU, UVA, Northwestern,...
Read moreAbout Cornell Law School admissions
Cornell Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Ithaca, New York. In the competitive 2022 law school rankings, Cornell Law School was ranked 12 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2022 ABA 509 Report, Cornell Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 210 with an acceptance rate of 17.44%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
About Cornell Law School Admissions
Based on the 2022 ABA 509 Report, 4913 candidates submitted JD applications to Cornell Law School and 857 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 17.44%.
The JD program at Cornell Law School enrolls a first-year class of 210 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 23.57%. This means that of the 857 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 202 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 Cornell 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.
What LSAT score do I need for Cornell Law School?
The above statistics show that Cornell Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 170 (25th percentile) to 174 (75th percentile), with a median of 172.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.76 to 3.94, with a median of 3.87.
With an acceptance rate of 17.44%, Cornell 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).