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NYU Law School

New York City, New York

Rank #6 (USNWR 2020)

170
LSAT
3.82
GPA
21.58%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2020 admissions cycle

170
LSAT
3.82
GPA
21.58%
Admit Rate

NYU Law School is a prestigious JD program located in New York City, New York. In the competitive 2020 law school rankings, NYU Law School was ranked 6 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. For the 2020 admissions cycle, NYU Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 425 with an acceptance rate of 21.58%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY NYU
Law School Applications
8009
JD application volume in 2020 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
21.58%
90th percentile
JD Program Size
425
98th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$68k

The young man knows the rules, but the old man knows the exceptions.

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NYU Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2020-2021 Cycle Overview
2790 applicants
Accepted
75 / 377
Waitlisted
215
Rejected
981
-
Withdrawn
428
-

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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  • 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 2020 admissions cycle at NYU Law School, 8009 candidates submitted JD applications and 1728 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 21.58%.

The JD program at NYU Law School enrolls a first-year class of 425 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 23.5%. This means that of the 1728 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 406 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 NYU 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
8009
100th percentile
Admission Offers 1728
Class Size
425
98th percentile
Acceptance Rate
21.58%
90th percentile
Yield Rate
23.5%
21st percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 168.14 170.17 173.34
GPA 3.64 3.74 3.87
Softs T3.23 T3.27 T3.24
Avg Scholarship - - $85,764
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
97th percentile
167 170 172
GPA
89th percentile
3.65 3.82 3.90
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 167.0 (0.0) 171.0 (+1.0) 173.0 (+1.0)
GPA 3.6 (-0.05) 3.8 (-0.02) 3.91 (+0.01)
* Based on 2790 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 111 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 102 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.3%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 14.3%

The above statistics show that NYU Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 167 (25th percentile) to 172 (75th percentile), with a median of 170.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.65 to 3.90, with a median of 3.82.

With an acceptance rate of 21.58%, NYU 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

NYU Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 2790 apps

NYU Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

90.3%
84th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

95.96%
96th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$190,000
Private Sector
100th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

87.4%
95th percentile

BigLaw Placement

51.7%
96th percentile

Federal Clerkships

3.4%
68th percentile

School-Funded Positions

6.1%

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 416 3 419 88.0%
JD Advantage 10 1 11 2.3%
Professional 0 0.0%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 24 5 29 6.1%
Total Employed 450 9 0 0 459 96.4%
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 65.8%
93rd percentile
Judicial Clerkships 4.2%
31st percentile
Government 4.4%
8th percentile
Public Interest 19.7%
99th percentile
Business 2.3%
4th percentile
Academia 0.0%
0th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 16 3.4%
68th percentile
State/Local 4 0.8%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
95.96%
96th percentile
Takers: 470
Passed: 451
vs State Avg +13.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
98.32%
94th percentile
Takers: 475
Passed: 467
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
82.53%
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
100th percentile
25th Percentile $190,000
100th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $60,000
67th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at NYU Law School is $68k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $65k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at NYU 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 $60,000. 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 65.8% of NYU Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 4.2% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 19.7% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 90.3% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from NYU Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 95.96%. Within two years, 98.32% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +13.4% 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.