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Harvard Law School (HLS)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2023-2024 cycle — 1886 applicants reporting.
23-24 · selected
22-23 · previous
ABA 509 (2023): 8,334 apps · 798 offers · 563 enrolled · 9.58% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 277 total (incl. 23 from waitlist) · 44% yield
Waitlist · 174 total · 13.2% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2023)
100th percentile
|
171 | 174 | 176 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 168 | 172 | 175 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2023)
97th percentile
|
3.84 | 3.93 | 3.99 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.74 | 3.89 | 3.98 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 169.83 | 170.84 | 174.52 |
| GPA | 3.79 | 3.82 | 3.95 |
| Softs | T3.19 | T3.18 | T3.15 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $110,643 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
8334
99th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 798 |
| Class Size |
563
100th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
9.58%
99th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
57.02%
97th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 72 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 84 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 14.5% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 74.4% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2023-2024) decisions (solid) vs. 1101 decisions from Previous Cycle (2022-2023) (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
Employment outcomes data from ABA 509 disclosures is shown below.
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 ★ 516 (90.5% of class)
JD Advantage 10 (1.8% of class)
Professional 8 (1.4% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 19 (3.3% 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 ★ | 514 | 2 | — | — | 516 | 90.5% |
| JD Advantage | 10 | 0 | — | — | 10 | 1.8% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 8 | 1.4% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 15 | 4 | — | — | 19 | 3.3% |
| Total Employed | 539 | 6 | 0 | 0 | 553 | 97.0% |
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 | 65.3% |
87th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 15.1% |
78th percentile
|
| Government | 3.9% |
7th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 10.0% |
65th percentile
|
| Business | 2.3% |
8th percentile
|
| Academia | 0.7% |
31st percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 66 | 11.6% |
96th percentile
|
| State/Local | 18 | 3.2% | — |
| International | 2 | 0.4% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 98.46% |
99th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 99.01% |
92nd percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 78.78% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Harvard Law School is $147k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $71k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
For JD graduates from Harvard Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 98.46%. Within two years, 99.01% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +19.7% 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
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 2023 law school rankings, Harvard Law School was ranked 5 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2023 ABA 509 Report, Harvard Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 563 with an acceptance rate of 9.58%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
About Harvard Law School Admissions
Based on the 2023 ABA 509 Report, 8334 candidates submitted JD applications to Harvard Law School and 798 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 9.58%.
The JD program at Harvard Law School enrolls a first-year class of 563 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 57.02%. This means that of the 798 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 455 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 171 (25th percentile) to 176 (75th percentile), with a median of 174.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.84 to 3.99, with a median of 3.93.
With an acceptance rate of 9.58%, 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).