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Cornell Law School
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2025-2026 cycle — 1392 applicants reporting.
25-26 · selected
24-25 · previous
ABA 509 (2025): 4,608 apps · 838 offers · 217 enrolled · 18.19% acceptance rate
This school uses "hold" instead of "waitlist" — same thing, different name. 49 applicants are on hold this cycle and are included in the waitlist numbers above.
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 257 total (incl. 4 from waitlist) · 2.7% yield
Waitlist · 393 total · 1% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2025)
97th percentile
|
168 | 173 | 175 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 168 | 171 | 174 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2025)
88th percentile
|
3.75 | 3.92 | 3.97 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.68 | 3.87 | 3.97 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 168.45 | 170.73 | 174.11 |
| GPA | 3.67 | 3.78 | 3.91 |
| Softs | T3.43 | T3.34 | T3.41 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $122,204 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
4608
86th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 838 |
| Class Size |
217
59th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
18.19%
85th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
25.06%
18th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 62 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 55 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 23.2% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 59.8% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2025-2026) decisions (solid) vs. 986 decisions from Previous Cycle (2024-2025) (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
Employment Quality Distribution
Law Firm Employment by Size
Employment Quality Matrix
Bar Required ★ 0 (0.0% of class)
JD Advantage 0 (0.0% of class)
Professional 0 (0.0% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 0 (0.0% 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 ★ | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| JD Advantage | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| Total Employed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
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 | — | — |
| Judicial Clerkships | — | — |
| Government | — | — |
| Public Interest | — | — |
| Business | — | — |
| Academia | — | — |
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 96.41% |
96th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 95.31% |
77th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 84.73% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Cornell Law School is $169k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $65k 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 96.41%. Within two years, 95.31% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +11.7% 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
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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 2025 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 2025 ABA 509 Report, Cornell Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 217 with an acceptance rate of 18.19%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
About Cornell Law School Admissions
Based on the 2025 ABA 509 Report, 4608 candidates submitted JD applications to Cornell Law School and 838 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 18.19%.
The JD program at Cornell Law School enrolls a first-year class of 217 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 25.06%. This means that of the 838 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 168 (25th percentile) to 175 (75th percentile), with a median of 173.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.75 to 3.97, with a median of 3.92.
With an acceptance rate of 18.19%, 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).