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Law school is a lot like juggling. With chainsaws. While on a unicycle.
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Iowa Law
Iowa City, Iowa
Rank #36 (USNWR 2024)
162
LSAT
3.76
GPA
59.8%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
JD Admissions & Requirements
Data from 2024 admissions cycle
162
LSAT
3.76
GPA
59.8%
Admit Rate
Iowa Law is a prestigious JD program located in Iowa City, Iowa. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, Iowa Law was ranked 36 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2024 admissions cycle, Iowa Law has an entering 1L class size of approximately 190 with an acceptance rate of 59.8%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
Also known as
IOWA, UNIVERSITY OF
UofI
Law School Applications
1019
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
59.8%
JD Program Size
190
JD Tuition Cost
$102k
A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers.
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Wisdom from Iowa Law Admits
3.7 / 167 • University of Illinois—Urbana Champaign • 5 months ago
LSAT: took multiple times, 167 highest. GPA: 3.7ish in a STEM field, then flunked out of...
Read more
3.58 / 168 • University of Mississippi • 5 months ago
Apply broadly but most importantly visit if you can!!!!! You never know which location will...
Read more
3.84 / 178 • Cornell University • 5 months ago
Highly recommend 7sage. 2 year UG gap on top of 2 years of retroactive withdrawals.
Read more
3.59 / 173 • University of Michigan • 4 months ago
On late nights illuminated by shooting stars, it gazes intently skyward, as if thinking of its home.
Read more
Iowa Law Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
271 applicants
Accepted
12
/
72
Waitlisted
40
Rejected
18
-
Withdrawn
99
-
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 2024 admissions cycle at Iowa Law, 1019 candidates submitted JD applications and 609 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is moderately selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 59.8%.
The JD program at Iowa Law enrolls a first-year class of 190 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 29.89%. This means that of the 609 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 182 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 Iowa 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 |
1019
|
| Admission Offers | 609 |
| Class Size |
190
|
| Acceptance Rate |
59.8%
|
| Yield Rate |
29.89%
|
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 157.63 | 163.4 | 165.78 |
| GPA | 3.24 | 3.65 | 3.76 |
| Softs | T3.21 | T3.31 | T3.34 |
| Avg Scholarship | - | - | $103,548 |
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
| LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
|
157 | 162 | 164 |
|
GPA
|
3.60 | 3.76 | 3.91 |
| LSD User Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | 25th | 50th | 75th |
| LSAT | 159.0 (+2.0) | 163.0 (+1.0) | 167.0 (+3.0) |
| GPA | 3.51 (-0.09) | 3.73 (-0.03) | 3.88 (-0.03) |
* Based on 271 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 | 59 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 45 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 2.6% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 100.0% |
The above statistics show that Iowa Law typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 157 (25th percentile) to 164 (75th percentile), with a median of 162.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.60 to 3.91, with a median of 3.76.
With an acceptance rate of 59.8%, Iowa Law is considered a moderately 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
Iowa Law Application Status Data
Application statuses submitted by LSData users
Showing 271 apps
Iowa Law Law School Employment Outcomes
Overview
JD Employment Rate
93.8%
First-Time Bar Pass
88.24%
Median Starting Salary
$160,000
Private Sector
Employment Quality
JD Required
85.8%
BigLaw Placement
15.9%
Federal Clerkships
5.1%
School-Funded Positions
1.7%
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 ★ | 151 | 0 | — | — | 151 | 85.8% |
| JD Advantage | 14 | 0 | — | — | 14 | 8.0% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 0 | 3 | — | — | 3 | 1.7% |
| Total Employed | 165 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 168 | 95.5% |
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 | 51.7% |
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 17.0% |
|
| Government | 9.1% |
|
| Public Interest | 8.5% |
|
| Business | 6.2% |
|
| Academia | 2.8% |
|
Judicial Clerkships
Clerkships by Type
| Clerkship Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 9 | 5.1% |
|
| State/Local | 21 | 11.9% | — |
Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.
Bar Examination Performance
First-Time Pass Rate
88.24%
Takers:
153
Passed:
135
vs State Avg
+7.1%
Ultimate Pass Rate
90.84%
Takers:
131
Passed:
119
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
81.18%
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
$160,000
25th Percentile
$80,000
Public Sector
Median Salary
$60,000
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Iowa Law is $102k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $48k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at Iowa Law, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $160,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $60,000. 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 51.7% of Iowa Law JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 17.0% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 8.5% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 93.8% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from Iowa Law, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 88.24%. Within two years, 90.84% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +7.1% 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.