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NYU Law School

New York City, New York

Rank #6 (USNWR 2021)

172
LSAT
3.86
GPA
22.0%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2021 admissions cycle

172
LSAT
3.86
GPA
22.0%
Admit Rate

NYU Law School is a prestigious JD program located in New York City, New York. In the competitive 2021 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 2021 admissions cycle, NYU Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 484 with an acceptance rate of 22.0%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
NEW YORK UNIVERSITY NYU
Law School Applications
10713
JD application volume in 2021 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
22.0%
92nd percentile
JD Program Size
484
99th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$140k

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NYU Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2021-2022 Cycle Overview
2063 applicants
Accepted
42 / 255
Waitlisted
314
Rejected
531
-
Withdrawn
374
-

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 2021 admissions cycle at NYU Law School, 10713 candidates submitted JD applications and 1556 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 22.0%.

The JD program at NYU Law School enrolls a first-year class of 484 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 29.43%. This means that of the 1556 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 458 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
10713
100th percentile
Admission Offers 1556
Class Size
484
99th percentile
Acceptance Rate
22.0%
92nd percentile
Yield Rate
29.43%
44th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 166.57 169.93 173.11
GPA 3.61 3.75 3.88
Softs T3.19 T3.27 T3.3
Avg Scholarship - - $89,081
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
97th percentile
170 172 174
GPA
91st percentile
3.73 3.86 3.93
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 167.0 (-3.0) 171.0 (-1.0) 174.0 (0.0)
GPA 3.63 (-0.1) 3.82 (-0.04) 3.93 (0.0)
* Based on 2063 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 98 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 104 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.5%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 10.0%

The above statistics show that NYU Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 170 (25th percentile) to 174 (75th percentile), with a median of 172.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.73 to 3.93, with a median of 3.86.

With an acceptance rate of 22.0%, 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 2063 apps

NYU Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

93.6%
87th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

98.0%
97th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$190,000
Private Sector
100th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

90.8%
96th percentile

BigLaw Placement

53.9%
97th percentile

Federal Clerkships

3.9%
76th percentile

School-Funded Positions

4.5%

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 423 1 424 91.0%
JD Advantage 12 0 12 2.6%
Professional 0 0.0%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 18 3 21 4.5%
Total Employed 453 4 0 0 457 98.1%
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 69.3%
94th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 5.4%
38th percentile
Government 3.9%
5th percentile
Public Interest 17.4%
97th percentile
Business 1.9%
3rd percentile
Academia 0.2%
18th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 18 3.9%
76th percentile
State/Local 7 1.5%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
98.0%
97th percentile
Takers: 450
Passed: 441
vs State Avg +13.9%
Ultimate Pass Rate
98.89%
95th percentile
Takers: 450
Passed: 445
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
84.08%
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 $65,000
84th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at NYU Law School is $140k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $63k 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 $65,000. 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 69.3% of NYU Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 5.4% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 17.4% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 93.6% 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 98.0%. Within two years, 98.89% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +13.9% 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.

Success in law school is 10% intelligence and 90% persistence.

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