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CUNY Law School logo

CUNY Law School

Queens, New York

Rank #107 (USNWR 2020)

154
LSAT
3.45
GPA
34.53%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2020 admissions cycle

154
LSAT
3.45
GPA
34.53%
Admit Rate

CUNY Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Queens, New York. In the competitive 2020 law school rankings, CUNY Law School was ranked 107 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2020 admissions cycle, CUNY Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 223 with an acceptance rate of 34.53%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Law School Applications
1761
JD application volume in 2020 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
34.53%
74th percentile
JD Program Size
223
72nd percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$25k

You win some, you lose some, and some you just bill by the hour.

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CUNY Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2020-2021 Cycle Overview
137 applicants
Accepted
4 / 41
Waitlisted
24
Rejected
17
-
Withdrawn
36
-

Admissions Graphs

25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

LSAT Score: Law School Admission Test score (120-180 scale)

GPA: Undergraduate Grade Point Average (0.0-4.3+ scale)

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:
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  • 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 2020 admissions cycle at CUNY Law School, 1761 candidates submitted JD applications and 608 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 34.53%.

The JD program at CUNY Law School enrolls a first-year class of 223 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 35.69%. This means that of the 608 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 217 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 CUNY 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
1761
62nd percentile
Admission Offers 608
Class Size
223
72nd percentile
Acceptance Rate
34.53%
74th percentile
Yield Rate
35.69%
70th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 155.56 160.86 162.92
GPA 3.25 3.43 3.61
Softs T3.12 T3.18 T3.11
Avg Scholarship - - $24,000
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
54th percentile
151 154 159
GPA
47th percentile
3.17 3.45 3.70
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 156.0 (+5.0) 161.0 (+7.0) 166.0 (+7.0)
GPA 3.2 (+0.03) 3.49 (+0.04) 3.76 (+0.06)
* Based on 137 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 27 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 17 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that CUNY Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 151 (25th percentile) to 159 (75th percentile), with a median of 154.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.17 to 3.70, with a median of 3.45.

With an acceptance rate of 34.53%, CUNY 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

CUNY Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 137 apps

CUNY Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

61.2%
6th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

75.0%
34th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$65,000
Private Sector
18th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

49.0%
12th percentile

BigLaw Placement

0.7%
17th percentile

Federal Clerkships

0.0%
11th percentile

School-Funded Positions

4.1%

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 72 3 75 51.0%
JD Advantage 11 4 15 10.2%
Professional 16 10.9%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 0 6 6 4.1%
Total Employed 83 13 0 0 112 76.2%
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 10.9%
1st percentile
Judicial Clerkships 0.7%
7th percentile
Government 14.3%
79th percentile
Public Interest 40.1%
100th percentile
Business 3.4%
9th percentile
Academia 4.8%
97th percentile
Unemployment Rate: 15.0% (graduates actively seeking employment)

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 0 0.0%
11th percentile
State/Local 1 0.7%

Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
75.0%
34th percentile
Takers: 160
Passed: 120
vs State Avg -8.5%
Ultimate Pass Rate
94.62%
75th percentile
Takers: 93
Passed: 88
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
83.52%
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
Median Salary $65,000
18th percentile
25th Percentile $60,000
41st percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $65,000
91st percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at CUNY Law School is $25k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $49k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at CUNY Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $65,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $65,000. These post-law school employment outcomes are important factors for evaluating the return on investment for your legal education.

For law school applicants interested in specific legal career paths, it's worth noting that 10.9% of CUNY Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 0.7% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 40.1% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 61.2% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from CUNY Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 75.0%. Within two years, 94.62% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is -8.5% 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.

Every accomplishment starts with the decision to try.

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