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Duke Law logo

Duke Law

Durham, North Carolina

Rank #6 (USNWR 2024)

170
LSAT
3.89
GPA
13.9%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2024 admissions cycle

170
LSAT
3.89
GPA
13.9%
Admit Rate

Duke Law is a prestigious JD program located in Durham, North Carolina. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, Duke Law was ranked 6 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. For the 2024 admissions cycle, Duke Law has an entering 1L class size of approximately 250 with an acceptance rate of 13.9%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
DUKE UNIVERSITY Duke
Law School Applications
5395
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
13.9%
94th percentile
JD Program Size
250
78th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$154k

A lawyer is a person who writes a 10,000-word document and calls it a 'brief'.

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Duke Law Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
2006 applicants
Accepted
47 / 165
Waitlisted
635
Rejected
557
-
Withdrawn
361
-

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:
  • 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 Duke Law, 5395 candidates submitted JD applications and 749 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 13.9%.

The JD program at Duke Law enrolls a first-year class of 250 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 31.64%. This means that of the 749 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 237 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
5395
93rd percentile
Admission Offers 749
Class Size
250
78th percentile
Acceptance Rate
13.9%
94th percentile
Yield Rate
31.64%
61st percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 167.6 170.56 172.87
GPA 3.7 3.81 3.91
Softs T3.22 T3.23 T3.12
Avg Scholarship - - $101,007
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
92nd percentile
168 170 171
GPA
88th percentile
3.79 3.89 3.96
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 168.0 (0.0) 171.0 (+1.0) 174.0 (+3.0)
GPA 3.71 (-0.08) 3.87 (-0.02) 3.97 (+0.01)
* Based on 2006 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 96 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 91 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 100.0%

The above statistics show that Duke Law typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 168 (25th percentile) to 171 (75th percentile), with a median of 170.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.79 to 3.96, with a median of 3.89.

With an acceptance rate of 13.9%, Duke Law 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).

Application Status Data

Duke Law Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 2006 apps

Duke Law Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

98.2%
100th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

94.44%
92nd percentile

Median Starting Salary

-
Private Sector

Employment Quality

JD Required

97.8%
100th percentile

BigLaw Placement

67.9%
100th percentile

Federal Clerkships

10.5%
96th percentile

School-Funded Positions

1.1%

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 271 0 271 97.8%
JD Advantage 1 0 1 0.4%
Professional 0 0.0%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 3 0 3 1.1%
Total Employed 275 0 0 0 275 99.3%
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 78.7%
99th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 13.4%
77th percentile
Government 3.2%
2nd percentile
Public Interest 3.6%
7th percentile
Business 0.4%
1st percentile
Academia 0.0%
0th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 29 10.5%
96th percentile
State/Local 8 2.9%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
94.44%
92nd percentile
Takers: 234
Passed: 221
vs State Avg +15.1%
Ultimate Pass Rate
99.16%
96th percentile
Takers: 239
Passed: 237
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
79.32%
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 Duke Law is $154k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $51k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

For JD graduates from Duke Law, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 94.44%. Within two years, 99.16% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +15.1% 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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