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Duke Law
Durham, North Carolina
Rank #10 (USNWR 2021)
170
LSAT
3.82
GPA
22.0%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
JD Admissions & Requirements
Data from 2021 admissions cycle
170
LSAT
3.82
GPA
22.0%
Admit Rate
Duke Law is a prestigious JD program located in Durham, North Carolina. In the competitive 2021 law school rankings, Duke Law was ranked 10 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. For the 2021 admissions cycle, Duke Law has an entering 1L class size of approximately 282 with an acceptance rate of 22.0%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
Also known as
DUKE UNIVERSITY
Duke
Law School Applications
7255
JD application volume in 2021 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
22.0%
JD Program Size
282
JD Tuition Cost
$136k
If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.
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Wisdom from Duke Law Admits
4.0 / 174 • Harvard University • 3 months ago
LSAT: 167 -> 168 -> 174 I used LSAT Demon + The Loophole (highly recommend both) GPA: ...
Read more
3.74 / 176 • University of Virginia • 5 months ago
For the sake of my mental health. I did not check my status checkers for UR1,UR2. Also, my...
Read more
3.89 / 167 • University of Chicago • 5 months ago
Shoot for the moon, don’t count yourself out. If you really can’t get your LSAT up (I took it...
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
Duke Law Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2021-2022 Cycle Overview
1760 applicants
Accepted
46
/
195
Waitlisted
434
Rejected
428
-
Withdrawn
356
-
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 2021 admissions cycle at Duke Law, 7255 candidates submitted JD applications and 1048 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 22.0%.
The JD program at Duke Law enrolls a first-year class of 282 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 26.91%. This means that of the 1048 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 282 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 Duke Law, 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 |
7255
|
| Admission Offers | 1048 |
| Class Size |
282
|
| Acceptance Rate |
22.0%
|
| Yield Rate |
26.91%
|
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 167.38 | 169.85 | 171.87 |
| GPA | 3.57 | 3.74 | 3.87 |
| Softs | T3.25 | T3.31 | T3.34 |
| Avg Scholarship | - | - | $112,823 |
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
| LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
|
167 | 170 | 172 |
|
GPA
|
3.70 | 3.82 | 3.91 |
| LSD User Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | 25th | 50th | 75th |
| LSAT | 167.0 (0.0) | 170.0 (0.0) | 173.0 (+1.0) |
| GPA | 3.61 (-0.09) | 3.81 (-0.01) | 3.93 (+0.02) |
* Based on 1760 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 | 109 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 97 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 1.1% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 35.0% |
The above statistics show that Duke Law typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 167 (25th percentile) to 172 (75th percentile), with a median of 170.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.70 to 3.91, with a median of 3.82.
With an acceptance rate of 22.0%, Duke Law 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
Duke Law Application Status Data
Application statuses submitted by LSData users
Showing 1760 apps
Duke Law Law School Employment Outcomes
Overview
JD Employment Rate
96.8%
First-Time Bar Pass
97.46%
Median Starting Salary
$190,000
Private Sector
Employment Quality
JD Required
93.6%
BigLaw Placement
58.2%
Federal Clerkships
11.2%
School-Funded Positions
1.6%
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 ★ | 235 | 0 | — | — | 235 | 93.6% |
| JD Advantage | 8 | 0 | — | — | 8 | 3.2% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 4 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 1.6% |
| Total Employed | 247 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 247 | 98.4% |
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 | 71.3% |
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 13.1% |
|
| Government | 4.0% |
|
| Public Interest | 5.6% |
|
| Business | 3.2% |
|
| Academia | 1.2% |
|
Judicial Clerkships
Clerkships by Type
| Clerkship Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 28 | 11.2% |
|
| State/Local | 5 | 2.0% | — |
Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.
Bar Examination Performance
First-Time Pass Rate
97.46%
Takers:
197
Passed:
192
vs State Avg
+17.8%
Ultimate Pass Rate
98.14%
Takers:
215
Passed:
211
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
79.69%
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
$190,000
25th Percentile
$190,000
Public Sector
Median Salary
$65,000
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Duke Law is $136k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $46k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at Duke Law, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $190,000. 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 71.3% of Duke Law JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 13.1% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 5.6% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 96.8% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from Duke Law, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 97.46%. Within two years, 98.14% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +17.8% 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.