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Notre Dame Law School (ND)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2021-2022 cycle — 663 applicants reporting.
21-22 · selected
20-21 · previous
ABA 509 (2021): 3,694 apps · 647 offers · 182 enrolled · 17.51% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 208 total (incl. 18 from waitlist) · 13.9% yield
Waitlist · 131 total · 13.7% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2021)
91st percentile
|
162 | 168 | 170 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 163 | 167 | 170 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2021)
76th percentile
|
3.52 | 3.77 | 3.85 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.49 | 3.73 | 3.89 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 163.9 | 166.54 | 169.21 |
| GPA | 3.5 | 3.65 | 3.75 |
| Softs | T3.21 | T3.31 | T3.35 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $104,176 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
3694
81st percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 647 |
| Class Size |
182
49th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
17.51%
88th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
27.51%
33rd percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 122 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 102 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.2% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 100.0% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2021-2022) decisions (solid) vs. 332 decisions from Previous Cycle (2020-2021) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is Notre Dame 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
88.6% of Notre Dame Law School graduates secured JD-required employment, with a median private sector salary of $165,000 and a 89.01% first-time bar passage rate (2021 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 ★ 154 (83.7% of class)
JD Advantage 9 (4.9% of class)
Professional 0 (0.0% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 5 (2.7% 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 ★ | 151 | 3 | — | — | 154 | 83.7% |
| JD Advantage | 9 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 4.9% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 5 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 2.7% |
| Total Employed | 165 | 3 | 0 | 0 | 168 | 91.3% |
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 | 57.1% |
77th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 11.4% |
69th percentile
|
| Government | 12.5% |
65th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 4.3% |
24th percentile
|
| Business | 5.4% |
17th percentile
|
| Academia | 0.5% |
23rd percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 17 | 9.2% |
94th percentile
|
| State/Local | 3 | 1.6% | — |
| International | 1 | 0.5% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 89.01% |
69th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 96.02% |
80th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 79.61% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Notre Dame Law School is $127k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $43k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at Notre Dame Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $165,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $64,773. 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 57.1% of Notre Dame Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 11.4% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 4.3% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 88.6% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from Notre Dame Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 89.01%. Within two years, 96.02% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +9.4% 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.
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
Also known as
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Read moreAbout Notre Dame Law School admissions
Notre Dame Law School , commonly known as ND, is a prestigious JD program located in South Bend, Indiana. In the competitive 2021 law school rankings, Notre Dame Law School was ranked 22 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. According to the 2021 ABA 509 Report, Notre Dame Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 182 with an acceptance rate of 17.51%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
About Notre Dame Law School Admissions
Based on the 2021 ABA 509 Report, 3694 candidates submitted JD applications to Notre Dame Law School and 647 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 17.51%.
The JD program at Notre Dame Law School enrolls a first-year class of 182 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 27.51%. This means that of the 647 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 178 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 Notre Dame 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 Notre Dame Law School?
The above statistics show that Notre Dame Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 162 (25th percentile) to 170 (75th percentile), with a median of 168.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.52 to 3.85, with a median of 3.77.
With an acceptance rate of 17.51%, Notre Dame 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).