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Northwestern Law School (NU)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2020-2021 cycle — 1927 applicants reporting.
20-21 · selected
19-20 · previous
ABA 509 (2020): 5,302 apps · 1,018 offers · 249 enrolled · 19.2% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 438 total (incl. 19 from waitlist) · 14.2% yield
Waitlist · 861 total · 2.2% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2020)
96th percentile
|
165 | 169 | 171 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 167 | 170 | 173 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2020)
92nd percentile
|
3.57 | 3.85 | 3.92 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.58 | 3.77 | 3.9 |
| 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 $ | - | - | $113,292 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
5302
93rd percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 1018 |
| Class Size |
249
80th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
19.2%
94th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
23.28%
18th percentile
|
| 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% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2020-2021) decisions (solid) vs. 433 decisions from Previous Cycle (2019-2020) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is Northwestern 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
90.2% of Northwestern Law School graduates secured JD-required employment, with a median private sector salary of $190,000 and a 91.97% first-time bar passage rate (2020 ABA 509 data).
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 ★ 215 (84.0% of class)
JD Advantage 16 (6.3% of class)
Professional 0 (0.0% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 6 (2.3% 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 ★ | 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% |
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 | 71.5% |
97th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 7.8% |
58th percentile
|
| Government | 2.7% |
4th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 5.1% |
39th percentile
|
| Business | 5.1% |
17th percentile
|
| Academia | 0.4% |
25th percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 16 | 6.3% |
85th percentile
|
| State/Local | 4 | 1.6% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 91.97% |
88th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 96.22% |
87th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 76.05% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Northwestern Law School is $137k 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.
Cost of Attendance
Annual Tuition
Annual Fees
Cost of Living
Scholarship & Grant Aid
Students Receiving Grants
Median Grant
Grant Range (25th–75th)
Grant Distribution
Debt & ROI
Avg Debt at Graduation
Graduates Who Borrowed
Debt-to-Salary Ratio
Conditional Scholarships
This school reports no conditional scholarships.
Admissions Contact
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Read moreAbout Northwestern Law School admissions
Northwestern Law School , commonly known as NU, 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. According to the 2020 ABA 509 Report, 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.
About Northwestern Law School Admissions
Based on the 2020 ABA 509 Report, 5302 candidates submitted JD applications to Northwestern Law School 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.
What LSAT score do I need for Northwestern Law School?
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).