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CUNY Law School logo

CUNY Law School

Queens, New York

Rank #102 (USNWR 2021)

155
LSAT
3.46
GPA
35.0%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2021 admissions cycle

155
LSAT
3.46
GPA
35.0%
Admit Rate

CUNY Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Queens, New York. In the competitive 2021 law school rankings, CUNY Law School was ranked 102 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2021 admissions cycle, CUNY Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 219 with an acceptance rate of 35.0%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
CITY UNIVERSITY OF NEW YORK
Law School Applications
1998
JD application volume in 2021 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
35.0%
72nd percentile
JD Program Size
219
64th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$51k

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CUNY Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2021-2022 Cycle Overview
113 applicants
Accepted
4 / 44
Waitlisted
13
Rejected
24
-
Withdrawn
18
-

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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  • Toggle series: Click on any legend item to show/hide that category (accepted, waitlisted, rejected, unknown)
Advanced Features:
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  • 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 2021 admissions cycle at CUNY Law School, 1998 candidates submitted JD applications and 592 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 35.0%.

The JD program at CUNY Law School enrolls a first-year class of 219 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 35.14%. This means that of the 592 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 208 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
1998
61st percentile
Admission Offers 592
Class Size
219
64th percentile
Acceptance Rate
35.0%
72nd percentile
Yield Rate
35.14%
68th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 153.25 158.85 161.66
GPA 3.23 3.44 3.52
Softs T3.4 T3.2 T3.09
Avg Scholarship - - $4,800
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
51st percentile
151 155 160
GPA
30th percentile
3.19 3.46 3.66
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 153.0 (+2.0) 159.0 (+4.0) 164.0 (+4.0)
GPA 3.23 (+0.04) 3.5 (+0.04) 3.7 (+0.04)
* Based on 113 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 46 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 40 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 160 (75th percentile), with a median of 155.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.19 to 3.66, with a median of 3.46.

With an acceptance rate of 35.0%, 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 113 apps

CUNY Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

75.0%
13th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

65.94%
14th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$65,000
Private Sector
23rd percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

64.4%
24th percentile

BigLaw Placement

1.6%
27th percentile

Federal Clerkships

0.0%
12th percentile

School-Funded Positions

2.7%

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 121 3 124 66.0%
JD Advantage 12 5 17 9.0%
Professional 11 5.9%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 0 5 5 2.7%
Total Employed 133 13 0 0 157 83.5%
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 11.2%
0th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 4.3%
29th percentile
Government 10.6%
49th percentile
Public Interest 44.7%
100th percentile
Business 7.4%
27th percentile
Academia 4.8%
98th percentile
Unemployment Rate: 13.3% (graduates actively seeking employment)

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 0 0.0%
12th percentile
State/Local 8 4.3%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
65.94%
14th percentile
Takers: 138
Passed: 91
vs State Avg -19.8%
Ultimate Pass Rate
88.3%
39th percentile
Takers: 94
Passed: 83
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
85.74%
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
23rd percentile
25th Percentile $50,000
12th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $67,673
92nd percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at CUNY Law School is $51k 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 $67,673. 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 11.2% of CUNY Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 4.3% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 44.7% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 75.0% 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 65.94%. Within two years, 88.3% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is -19.8% 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.

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