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Harvard Law School (HLS)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2020-2021 cycle — 2373 applicants reporting.
20-21 · selected
19-20 · previous
ABA 509 (2020): 7,448 apps · 968 offers · 501 enrolled · 13.0% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 213 total (incl. 29 from waitlist) · 36.2% yield
Waitlist · 406 total · 7.1% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2020)
100th percentile
|
170 | 173 | 175 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 169 | 172 | 174 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2020)
99th percentile
|
3.78 | 3.88 | 3.96 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.66 | 3.82 | 3.93 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 170.08 | 170.99 | 173.7 |
| GPA | 3.72 | 3.77 | 3.89 |
| Softs | T3.25 | T3.23 | T3.15 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $110,882 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
7448
99th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 968 |
| Class Size |
501
99th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
13.0%
99th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
45.97%
94th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 98 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 77 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 8.7% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 73.9% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2020-2021) decisions (solid) vs. 580 decisions from Previous Cycle (2019-2020) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is Harvard Law School Trending?
Historical LSAT, GPA, and acceptance rate data from ABA 509 reports. Rising medians or falling acceptance rates indicate increasing competitiveness.
LSAT and GPA bands show 25th/50th/75th percentiles; acceptance rate is lower = more selective. Click legend items to show/hide metrics.
Overview
92.1% of Harvard Law School graduates secured JD-required employment, with a median private sector salary of $190,000 and a 98.93% first-time bar passage rate (2020 ABA 509 data).
JD Employment Rate
First-Time Bar Pass
Median Starting Salary
Employment Quality
JD Required
BigLaw Placement
Federal Clerkships
School-Funded Positions
Employment Quality Distribution
Law Firm Employment by Size
Employment Quality Matrix
Bar Required ★ 495 (86.8% of class)
JD Advantage 30 (5.3% of class)
Professional 10 (1.8% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 21 (3.7% of class)
| Employment Type | Full-Time Long-Term |
Full-Time Short-Term |
Part-Time Long-Term |
Part-Time Short-Term |
Total | % of Grads |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Bar Required ★ | 495 | 0 | — | — | 495 | 86.8% |
| JD Advantage | 28 | 2 | — | — | 30 | 5.3% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 10 | 1.8% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 16 | 4 | — | — | 21 | 3.7% |
| Total Employed | 539 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 556 | 97.5% |
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
Sector Details
| Sector | % of Graduates | National Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| Law Firms | 59.1% |
85th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 17.9% |
81st percentile
|
| Government | 4.0% |
6th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 11.1% |
83rd percentile
|
| Business | 4.0% |
11th percentile
|
| Academia | 1.4% |
61st percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 84 | 14.7% |
97th percentile
|
| State/Local | 17 | 3.0% | — |
| International | 1 | 0.2% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 98.93% |
99th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 98.83% |
95th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 79.16% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Harvard Law School is $131k 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 Harvard Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $190,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $63,000. 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 59.1% of Harvard Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 17.9% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 11.1% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 92.1% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from Harvard Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 98.93%. Within two years, 98.83% 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.
Cost of Attendance
Annual Tuition
Annual Fees
Cost of Living
Scholarship & Grant Aid
Students Receiving Grants
Median Grant
Grant Range (25th–75th)
Grant Distribution
Debt & ROI
Avg Debt at Graduation
Graduates Who Borrowed
Debt-to-Salary Ratio
Conditional Scholarships
This school reports no conditional scholarships.
Admissions Contact
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Read moreAbout Harvard Law School admissions
Harvard Law School , commonly known as HLS, is a prestigious JD program located in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In the competitive 2020 law school rankings, Harvard Law School was ranked 3 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2020 ABA 509 Report, Harvard Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 501 with an acceptance rate of 13.0%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
About Harvard Law School Admissions
Based on the 2020 ABA 509 Report, 7448 candidates submitted JD applications to Harvard Law School and 968 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 13.0%.
The JD program at Harvard Law School enrolls a first-year class of 501 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 45.97%. This means that of the 968 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 445 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 Harvard 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.
What LSAT score do I need for Harvard Law School?
The above statistics show that Harvard Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 170 (25th percentile) to 175 (75th percentile), with a median of 173.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.78 to 3.96, with a median of 3.88.
With an acceptance rate of 13.0%, Harvard 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).