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 2024-2025 cycle — 1411 applicants reporting.
24-25 · selected
23-24 · previous
ABA 509 (2024): 3,722 apps · 860 offers · 216 enrolled · 23.11% acceptance rate
This school uses "hold" instead of "waitlist" — same thing, different name. 39 applicants are on hold this cycle and are included in the waitlist numbers above.
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 365 total (incl. 26 from waitlist) · 9.6% yield
Waitlist · 516 total · 5% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2024)
98th percentile
|
169 | 173 | 175 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 168 | 172 | 175 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2024)
88th percentile
|
3.73 | 3.89 | 3.96 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.68 | 3.86 | 3.97 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 167.72 | 170.74 | 173.64 |
| GPA | 3.66 | 3.78 | 3.9 |
| Softs | T3.22 | T3.24 | T3.29 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $119,186 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
3722
85th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 860 |
| Class Size |
216
67th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
23.11%
84th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
24.42%
23rd percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 68 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 61 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 28.8% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 59.9% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2024-2025) decisions (solid) vs. 662 decisions from Previous Cycle (2023-2024) (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 ★ 190 (96.9% of class)
JD Advantage 2 (1.0% of class)
Professional 0 (0.0% of class)
Other 1 (0.5% of class)
School-Funded 1 (0.5% 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 ★ | 189 | 1 | — | — | 190 | 96.9% |
| JD Advantage | 1 | 1 | — | — | 2 | 1.0% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0.5% |
| School-Funded | 1 | 0 | — | — | 1 | 0.5% |
| Total Employed | 191 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 194 | 99.0% |
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 | 7.1% |
51st percentile
|
| Government | 2.0% |
0th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 3.1% |
4th percentile
|
| Business | 2.0% |
6th percentile
|
| Academia | 0.0% |
0th percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 13 | 6.6% |
91st percentile
|
| State/Local | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| International | 1 | 0.5% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 94.86% |
93rd percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 94.21% |
70th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 81.58% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Cornell Law School is $162k 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 94.86%. Within two years, 94.21% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +13.3% 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 2024 law school rankings, Cornell Law School was ranked 18 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2024 ABA 509 Report, Cornell Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 216 with an acceptance rate of 23.11%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
About Cornell Law School Admissions
Based on the 2024 ABA 509 Report, 3722 candidates submitted JD applications to Cornell Law School and 860 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 23.11%.
The JD program at Cornell Law School enrolls a first-year class of 216 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 24.42%. This means that of the 860 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 210 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 173.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.73 to 3.96, with a median of 3.89.
With an acceptance rate of 23.11%, Cornell Law School 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).