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Northwestern Law School (NU)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2025-2026 cycle — 1850 applicants reporting.
25-26 · selected
24-25 · previous
ABA 509 (2025): 7,976 apps · 981 offers · 250 enrolled · 12.3% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 167 total · 4.8% yield
Waitlist · 351 total
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2025)
97th percentile
|
167 | 173 | 175 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 168 | 171 | 174 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2025)
97th percentile
|
3.76 | 3.96 | 4.00 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.68 | 3.86 | 3.97 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 167.76 | 170.62 | 174.39 |
| GPA | 3.65 | 3.78 | 3.95 |
| Softs | T3.32 | T3.24 | T3.31 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $136,667 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
7976
95th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 981 |
| Class Size |
250
76th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
12.3%
92nd percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
24.97%
18th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 100 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 86 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 16.7% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 15.2% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2025-2026) decisions (solid) vs. 1550 decisions from Previous Cycle (2024-2025) (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
Employment outcomes data from ABA 509 disclosures is shown below.
JD Employment Rate
First-Time Bar Pass
Median Starting Salary
Employment Quality
JD Required
BigLaw Placement
Federal Clerkships
Employment Quality Distribution
Law Firm Employment by Size
Employment Quality Matrix
Bar Required ★ 0 (0.0% of class)
JD Advantage 0 (0.0% of class)
Professional 0 (0.0% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 0 (0.0% 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 ★ | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| JD Advantage | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | — | — | — | — | — | 0.0% |
| Total Employed | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 0.0% |
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 | — | — |
| Judicial Clerkships | — | — |
| Government | — | — |
| Public Interest | — | — |
| Business | — | — |
| Academia | — | — |
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 91.8% |
84th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 98.45% |
91st percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 81.0% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Northwestern Law School is $159k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $56k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
For JD graduates from Northwestern Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 91.8%. Within two years, 98.45% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +10.8% 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
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 2025 law school rankings, Northwestern Law School was ranked 10 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2025 ABA 509 Report, Northwestern Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 250 with an acceptance rate of 12.3%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
About Northwestern Law School Admissions
Based on the 2025 ABA 509 Report, 7976 candidates submitted JD applications to Northwestern Law School and 981 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 12.3%.
The JD program at Northwestern Law School enrolls a first-year class of 250 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 24.97%. This means that of the 981 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 245 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 167 (25th percentile) to 175 (75th percentile), with a median of 173.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.76 to 4.00, with a median of 3.96.
With an acceptance rate of 12.3%, 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).