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The difference between ordinary and extraordinary is practice.
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Cornell Law School
Ithaca, New York
Rank #18 (USNWR 2024)
173
LSAT
3.89
GPA
23.1%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
JD Admissions & Requirements
Data from 2024 admissions cycle
173
LSAT
3.89
GPA
23.1%
Admit Rate
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. For the 2024 admissions cycle, Cornell Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 216 with an acceptance rate of 23.1%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
Also known as
CORNELL UNIVERSITY
Law School Applications
3722
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
23.1%
JD Program Size
216
JD Tuition Cost
$162k
It is better to risk saving a guilty man than to condemn an innocent one.
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Wisdom from Cornell Law School Admits
3.49 / 177 • University of California—Los Angeles • 5 months ago
There is hope for splitters!
Read more
3.61 / 173 • Stanford University • 5 months ago
blackletterlaw left no wisdom for posterity… (◕︵◕) Do not let me and the advice I’ve written...
Read more
3.95 / 176 • University of Virginia • 5 months ago
-wrote a Why UVA, I do think that definitely contributed to my fast response from them
Read more
3.93 / 172 • Cornell University • 5 months ago
Ask for rec letters ASAP and ask for more than you need! My app materials were all done in...
Read more
3.6 / 177 • University of Virginia • 5 months ago
No extra essays for Columbia and Harvard Wrote a Why X for UChicago, NYU, UVA, Northwestern,...
Read more
Cornell Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
1425 applicants
Accepted
35
/
195
Waitlisted
293
Rejected
394
-
Withdrawn
326
-
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 2024 admissions cycle at Cornell Law School, 3722 candidates submitted JD applications and 860 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 23.1%.
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.
JD Admission Requirements & Application Statistics
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
3722
|
| Admission Offers | 860 |
| Class Size |
216
|
| Acceptance Rate |
23.1%
|
| Yield Rate |
24.42%
|
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 167.65 | 170.73 | 173.63 |
| GPA | 3.66 | 3.78 | 3.9 |
| Softs | T3.22 | T3.24 | T3.29 |
| Avg Scholarship | - | - | $119,186 |
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
| LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
|
169 | 173 | 175 |
|
GPA
|
3.73 | 3.89 | 3.96 |
| LSD User Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | 25th | 50th | 75th |
| LSAT | 168.0 (-1.0) | 172.0 (-1.0) | 175.0 (0.0) |
| GPA | 3.68 (-0.05) | 3.86 (-0.03) | 3.97 (+0.01) |
* Based on 1425 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 | 68 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 60 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 28.5% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 59.9% |
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 23.1%, 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).
Application Status Data
Cornell Law School Application Status Data
Application statuses submitted by LSData users
Showing 1425 apps
Cornell Law School Law School Employment Outcomes
Overview
JD Employment Rate
98.0%
First-Time Bar Pass
94.86%
Median Starting Salary
-
Private Sector
Employment Quality
JD Required
96.4%
BigLaw Placement
71.9%
Federal Clerkships
6.6%
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 ★ | 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% |
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 | 84.2% |
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 7.1% |
|
| Government | 2.0% |
|
| Public Interest | 3.1% |
|
| Business | 2.0% |
|
| Academia | 0.0% |
|
Judicial Clerkships
Clerkships by Type
| Clerkship Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 13 | 6.6% |
|
| State/Local | 0 | 0.0% | — |
| International | 1 | 0.5% | — |
Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.
Bar Examination Performance
First-Time Pass Rate
94.86%
Takers:
175
Passed:
166
vs State Avg
+13.3%
Ultimate Pass Rate
94.21%
Takers:
190
Passed:
179
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
81.58%
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 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.