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Michigan State Law School logo

Michigan State Law School

East Lansing, Michigan

Rank #115 (USNWR 2024)

160
LSAT
3.63
GPA
31.9%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2024 admissions cycle

160
LSAT
3.63
GPA
31.9%
Admit Rate

Michigan State Law School is a prestigious JD program located in East Lansing, Michigan. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, Michigan State Law School was ranked 115 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2024 admissions cycle, Michigan State Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 142 with an acceptance rate of 31.9%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
MICHIGAN STATE UNIVERSITY
Law School Applications
1359
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
31.9%
71st percentile
JD Program Size
142
30th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$94k

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Michigan State Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
219 applicants
Accepted
13 / 46
Waitlisted
39
Rejected
15
-
Withdrawn
45
-

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 2024 admissions cycle at Michigan State Law School, 1359 candidates submitted JD applications and 433 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 31.9%.

The JD program at Michigan State Law School enrolls a first-year class of 142 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 32.1%. This means that of the 433 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 139 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 Michigan State 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
1359
47th percentile
Admission Offers 433
Class Size
142
30th percentile
Acceptance Rate
31.9%
71st percentile
Yield Rate
32.1%
63rd percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 159.0 159.82 164.28
GPA 3.49 3.48 3.6
Softs T3.17 T3.34 T3.35
Avg Scholarship - - $131,063
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
59th percentile
157 160 162
GPA
62nd percentile
3.39 3.63 3.86
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 156.0 (-1.0) 160.0 (0.0) 164.0 (+2.0)
GPA 3.21 (-0.18) 3.6 (-0.03) 3.83 (-0.03)
* Based on 219 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 77 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 65 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.5%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 100.0%

The above statistics show that Michigan State Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 157 (25th percentile) to 162 (75th percentile), with a median of 160.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.39 to 3.86, with a median of 3.63.

With an acceptance rate of 31.9%, Michigan State Law School is considered a 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

Michigan State Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 219 apps

Michigan State Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

89.1%
45th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

72.78%
33rd percentile

Median Starting Salary

$89,000
Private Sector
38th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

79.1%
39th percentile

BigLaw Placement

4.1%
37th percentile

Federal Clerkships

0.9%
33rd percentile

School-Funded Positions

2.3%

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 174 3 177 80.5%
JD Advantage 17 2 19 8.6%
Professional 1 0.5%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 0 5 5 2.3%
Total Employed 191 10 0 0 202 91.8%
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 53.6%
55th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 5.0%
37th percentile
Government 15.0%
66th percentile
Public Interest 11.4%
79th percentile
Business 5.9%
42nd percentile
Academia 0.9%
45th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 2 0.9%
33rd percentile
State/Local 9 4.1%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
72.78%
33rd percentile
Takers: 180
Passed: 131
vs State Avg +6.3%
Ultimate Pass Rate
85.88%
27th percentile
Takers: 170
Passed: 146
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
66.45%
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 $89,000
38th percentile
25th Percentile $75,000
49th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $65,000
33rd percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at Michigan State Law School is $94k 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 Michigan State Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $89,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $65,000. 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 53.6% of Michigan State Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 5.0% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 11.4% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 89.1% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from Michigan State Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 72.78%. Within two years, 85.88% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +6.3% 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.