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Northeastern Law School logo

Northeastern Law School

Boston, Massachusetts

Rank #67 (USNWR 2021)

162
LSAT
3.66
GPA
36.0%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2021 admissions cycle

162
LSAT
3.66
GPA
36.0%
Admit Rate

Northeastern Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Boston, Massachusetts. In the competitive 2021 law school rankings, Northeastern Law School was ranked 67 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2021 admissions cycle, Northeastern Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 239 with an acceptance rate of 36.0%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
NORTHEASTERN UNIVERSITY NUSL
Law School Applications
4103
JD application volume in 2021 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
36.0%
83rd percentile
JD Program Size
239
71st percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$113k

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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Northeastern Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2021-2022 Cycle Overview
600 applicants
Accepted
26 / 142
Waitlisted
149
Rejected
59
-
Withdrawn
152
-

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
Graph Navigation:
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  • 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:
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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 2021 admissions cycle at Northeastern Law School, 4103 candidates submitted JD applications and 1001 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 36.0%.

The JD program at Northeastern Law School enrolls a first-year class of 239 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 23.18%. This means that of the 1001 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 232 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 Northeastern 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
4103
84th percentile
Admission Offers 1001
Class Size
239
71st percentile
Acceptance Rate
36.0%
83rd percentile
Yield Rate
23.18%
15th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 157.11 162.52 164.75
GPA 3.38 3.59 3.67
Softs T3.29 T3.29 T3.22
Avg Scholarship - - $116,978
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
73rd percentile
158 162 164
GPA
62nd percentile
3.45 3.66 3.79
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 159.0 (+1.0) 163.0 (+1.0) 166.0 (+2.0)
GPA 3.43 (-0.02) 3.67 (+0.01) 3.83 (+0.04)
* Based on 600 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 75 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 46 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that Northeastern Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 158 (25th percentile) to 164 (75th percentile), with a median of 162.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.45 to 3.79, with a median of 3.66.

With an acceptance rate of 36.0%, Northeastern 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

Northeastern Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 600 apps

Northeastern Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

89.1%
59th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

84.45%
54th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$172,500
Private Sector
88th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

73.6%
46th percentile

BigLaw Placement

14.5%
75th percentile

Federal Clerkships

0.5%
27th percentile

School-Funded Positions

2.1%

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 142 2 144 74.6%
JD Advantage 23 5 28 14.5%
Professional 1 0.5%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 3 1 4 2.1%
Total Employed 168 8 0 0 177 91.7%
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 39.4%
18th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 7.3%
51st percentile
Government 6.2%
13th percentile
Public Interest 21.8%
99th percentile
Business 13.5%
74th percentile
Academia 3.6%
89th percentile
Unemployment Rate: 6.2% (graduates actively seeking employment)

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 1 0.5%
27th percentile
State/Local 13 6.7%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
84.45%
54th percentile
Takers: 180
Passed: 152
vs State Avg +1.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
94.16%
67th percentile
Takers: 137
Passed: 129
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
83.01%
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 $172,500
88th percentile
25th Percentile $84,500
81st percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $55,661
34th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at Northeastern Law School is $113k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $39k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at Northeastern Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $172,500. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $55,661. 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 39.4% of Northeastern Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 7.3% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 21.8% 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 Northeastern Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 84.45%. Within two years, 94.16% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +1.4% 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.

If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.

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