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Cornell Law School
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2023-2024 cycle — 1035 applicants reporting.
23-24 · selected
22-23 · previous
ABA 509 (2023): 4,368 apps · 843 offers · 191 enrolled · 19.3% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 344 total (incl. 9 from waitlist) · 9.3% yield
Waitlist · 274 total · 3.3% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2023)
98th percentile
|
169 | 172 | 175 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 169 | 171 | 174 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2023)
93rd percentile
|
3.78 | 3.90 | 3.97 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.7 | 3.86 | 3.96 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 167.09 | 170.72 | 173.51 |
| GPA | 3.71 | 3.79 | 3.87 |
| Softs | T3.13 | T3.22 | T3.31 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $125,472 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
4368
88th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 843 |
| Class Size |
191
61st percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
19.3%
87th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
22.18%
16th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 82 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 66 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 31.8% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 67.2% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2023-2024) decisions (solid) vs. 595 decisions from Previous Cycle (2022-2023) (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 ★ 158 (90.8% of class)
JD Advantage 2 (1.1% of class)
Professional 2 (1.1% of class)
Other 1 (0.6% of class)
School-Funded 6 (3.4% 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 ★ | 158 | 0 | — | — | 158 | 90.8% |
| JD Advantage | 2 | 0 | — | — | 2 | 1.1% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 2 | 1.1% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0.6% |
| School-Funded | 6 | 0 | — | — | 6 | 3.4% |
| Total Employed | 166 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 169 | 97.1% |
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 | 75.3% |
98th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 5.7% |
42nd percentile
|
| Government | 1.7% |
1st percentile
|
| Public Interest | 11.5% |
78th percentile
|
| Business | 2.9% |
11th percentile
|
| Academia | 0.0% |
0th percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 9 | 5.2% |
81st percentile
|
| State/Local | 1 | 0.6% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 90.31% |
83rd percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 97.41% |
86th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 80.52% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Cornell Law School is $155k 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 Cornell Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 90.31%. Within two years, 97.41% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +9.8% 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
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Read moreAbout Cornell Law School admissions
Cornell Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Ithaca, New York. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, Cornell Law School was ranked 13 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2023 ABA 509 Report, Cornell Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 191 with an acceptance rate of 19.3%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
About Cornell Law School Admissions
Based on the 2023 ABA 509 Report, 4368 candidates submitted JD applications to Cornell Law School and 843 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 19.3%.
The JD program at Cornell Law School enrolls a first-year class of 191 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 22.18%. This means that of the 843 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 187 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 169 (25th percentile) to 175 (75th percentile), with a median of 172.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.78 to 3.97, with a median of 3.90.
With an acceptance rate of 19.3%, 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).