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A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers.
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Northwestern Law School
Evanston, Illinois
Rank #9 (USNWR 2020)
169
LSAT
3.85
GPA
19.2%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles
JD Admissions & Requirements
Data from 2020 admissions cycle
169
LSAT
3.85
GPA
19.2%
Admit Rate
Northwestern Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Evanston, Illinois. In the competitive 2020 law school rankings, Northwestern Law School was ranked 9 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. For the 2020 admissions cycle, Northwestern Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 249 with an acceptance rate of 19.2%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
Also known as
NORTHWESTERN UNIVERSITY
NU Pritzker
Law School Applications
5302
JD application volume in 2020 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
19.2%
JD Program Size
249
JD Tuition Cost
$68k
Success in law school is 10% intelligence and 90% persistence.
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Wisdom from Northwestern Law School Admits
3.74 / 176 • University of Virginia • 5 months ago
For the sake of my mental health. I did not check my status checkers for UR1,UR2. Also, my...
Read more
3.61 / 173 • Stanford University • 5 months ago
blackletterlaw left no wisdom for posterity… (◕︵◕) Do not let me and the advice I’ve written...
Read more
3.95 / 176 • University of Virginia • 5 months ago
-wrote a Why UVA, I do think that definitely contributed to my fast response from them
Read more
3.93 / 172 • Cornell University • 5 months ago
Ask for rec letters ASAP and ask for more than you need! My app materials were all done in...
Read more
4.13 / 173 • Northwestern University • 5 months ago
I studied using exclusively LSAT Demon and JurisPrep (one more for the software, the other for...
Read more
Northwestern Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2020-2021 Cycle Overview
1927 applicants
Accepted
62
/
253
Waitlisted
537
Rejected
387
-
Withdrawn
525
-
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 2020 admissions cycle at Northwestern Law School, 5302 candidates submitted JD applications and 1018 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 19.2%.
The JD program at Northwestern Law School enrolls a first-year class of 249 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 23.28%. This means that of the 1018 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 237 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 Northwestern 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 |
5302
|
| Admission Offers | 1018 |
| Class Size |
249
|
| Acceptance Rate |
19.2%
|
| Yield Rate |
23.28%
|
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 166.51 | 170.08 | 172.16 |
| GPA | 3.56 | 3.7 | 3.8 |
| Softs | T3.14 | T3.27 | T3.24 |
| Avg Scholarship | - | - | $113,292 |
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
| LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
|
165 | 169 | 171 |
|
GPA
|
3.57 | 3.85 | 3.92 |
| LSD User Stats | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | 25th | 50th | 75th |
| LSAT | 167.0 (+2.0) | 170.0 (+1.0) | 173.0 (+2.0) |
| GPA | 3.58 (+0.01) | 3.77 (-0.08) | 3.9 (-0.02) |
* Based on 1927 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 | 90 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 68 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 12.5% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 37.3% |
The above statistics show that Northwestern Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 165 (25th percentile) to 171 (75th percentile), with a median of 169.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.57 to 3.92, with a median of 3.85.
With an acceptance rate of 19.2%, Northwestern 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).
Application Status Data
Northwestern Law School Application Status Data
Application statuses submitted by LSData users
Showing 1927 apps
Northwestern Law School Law School Employment Outcomes
Overview
JD Employment Rate
90.2%
First-Time Bar Pass
91.97%
Median Starting Salary
$190,000
Private Sector
Employment Quality
JD Required
83.2%
BigLaw Placement
64.1%
Federal Clerkships
6.3%
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 ★ | 213 | 2 | — | — | 215 | 84.0% |
| JD Advantage | 16 | 0 | — | — | 16 | 6.3% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 5 | 1 | — | — | 6 | 2.3% |
| Total Employed | 234 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 237 | 92.6% |
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 | 71.5% |
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 7.8% |
|
| Government | 2.7% |
|
| Public Interest | 5.1% |
|
| Business | 5.1% |
|
| Academia | 0.4% |
|
Unemployment Rate: 5.9%
(graduates actively seeking employment)
Judicial Clerkships
Clerkships by Type
| Clerkship Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 16 | 6.3% |
|
| State/Local | 4 | 1.6% | — |
Federal clerkships are highly prestigious positions that significantly enhance career prospects in litigation and academia.
Bar Examination Performance
First-Time Pass Rate
91.97%
Takers:
224
Passed:
206
vs State Avg
+15.9%
Ultimate Pass Rate
96.22%
Takers:
238
Passed:
229
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
76.05%
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
$190,000
25th Percentile
$190,000
Public Sector
Median Salary
$62,000
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Northwestern Law School is $68k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $49k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at Northwestern 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 $62,000. 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 71.5% of Northwestern Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 7.8% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 5.1% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 90.2% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from Northwestern Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 91.97%. Within two years, 96.22% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +15.9% 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.