Fordham Law School logo

Fordham Law School

Bronx, New York

Rank #29 (USNWR 2023)

167
LSAT
3.75
GPA
18.8%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2023 admissions cycle

167
LSAT
3.75
GPA
18.8%
Admit Rate

Fordham Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Bronx, New York. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, Fordham Law School was ranked 29 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2023 admissions cycle, Fordham Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 434 with an acceptance rate of 18.8%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
FORDHAM UNIVERSITY Fordham FLS
Law School Applications
6346
JD application volume in 2023 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
18.8%
86th percentile
JD Program Size
434
99th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$142k

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Fordham Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2023-2024 Cycle Overview
1302 applicants
Accepted
33 / 188
Waitlisted
238
Rejected
264
-
Withdrawn
340
-

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
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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 2023 admissions cycle at Fordham Law School, 6346 candidates submitted JD applications and 1341 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 18.8%.

The JD program at Fordham Law School enrolls a first-year class of 434 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 32.14%. This means that of the 1341 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 431 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 Fordham 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
6346
95th percentile
Admission Offers 1341
Class Size
434
99th percentile
Acceptance Rate
18.8%
86th percentile
Yield Rate
32.14%
61st percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 161.43 166.23 169.74
GPA 3.56 3.67 3.79
Softs T3.24 T3.24 T3.22
Avg Scholarship - - $116,500
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
87th percentile
164 167 169
GPA
61st percentile
3.57 3.75 3.84
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 163.0 (-1.0) 167.0 (0.0) 170.0 (+1.0)
GPA 3.52 (-0.05) 3.75 (0.0) 3.9 (+0.06)
* Based on 1302 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 81 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 51 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that Fordham Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 164 (25th percentile) to 169 (75th percentile), with a median of 167.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.57 to 3.84, with a median of 3.75.

With an acceptance rate of 18.8%, Fordham 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).

Application Status Data

Fordham Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 1302 apps

Fordham Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

94.4%
85th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

90.65%
84th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$215,000
Private Sector
98th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

88.1%
80th percentile

BigLaw Placement

43.2%
91st percentile

Federal Clerkships

2.7%
63rd percentile

School-Funded Positions

0.2%

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 363 2 365 88.6%
JD Advantage 20 4 24 5.8%
Professional 2 0.5%
Other 1 0.2%
School-Funded 0 1 1 0.2%
Total Employed 383 7 0 0 393 95.4%
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 69.9%
92nd percentile
Judicial Clerkships 5.1%
38th percentile
Government 6.6%
14th percentile
Public Interest 6.3%
29th percentile
Business 7.0%
45th percentile
Academia 0.5%
20th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 11 2.7%
63rd percentile
State/Local 10 2.4%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
90.65%
84th percentile
Takers: 385
Passed: 349
vs State Avg +8.6%
Ultimate Pass Rate
97.33%
85th percentile
Takers: 375
Passed: 365
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
82.09%
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 $215,000
98th percentile
25th Percentile $202,500
98th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $74,553
88th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at Fordham Law School is $142k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $66k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at Fordham Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $215,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $74,553. 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 69.9% of Fordham Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 5.1% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 6.3% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 94.4% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from Fordham Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 90.65%. Within two years, 97.33% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +8.6% 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.

Law school: Where you spend three years learning to think like a lawyer, then a lifetime trying to think like a human again.

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