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Penn State Law School - Dickinson logo

Penn State Law School - Dickinson

Carlisle, Pennsylvania

Rank #89 (USNWR 2023)

162
LSAT
3.63
GPA
36.8%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2023 admissions cycle

162
LSAT
3.63
GPA
36.8%
Admit Rate

Penn State Law School - Dickinson is a prestigious JD program located in Carlisle, Pennsylvania. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, Penn State Law School - Dickinson was ranked 89 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2023 admissions cycle, Penn State Law School - Dickinson has an entering 1L class size of approximately 107 with an acceptance rate of 36.8%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
PENNSYLVANIA STATE - DICKINSON LAW PSU-Dickinson
Law School Applications
1524
JD application volume in 2023 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
36.8%
65th percentile
JD Program Size
107
11th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$115k

Law school is a lot like juggling. With chainsaws. While on a unicycle.

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Penn State Law School - Dickinson Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2023-2024 Cycle Overview
166 applicants
Accepted
6 / 49
Waitlisted
12
Rejected
28
-
Withdrawn
55
-

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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  • View details: Hover over any point to see detailed information
  • Visit profile: Click on any point to open that user's profile page
  • Toggle series: Click on any legend item to show/hide that category (accepted, waitlisted, rejected, unknown)
Advanced Features:
  • Colorblind mode: Toggle on in the controls above for an alternative color palette
  • Export/Print: Click the menu in the top-right corner of any graph to download or print
  • 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 2023 admissions cycle at Penn State Law School - Dickinson, 1524 candidates submitted JD applications and 539 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 36.8%.

The JD program at Penn State Law School - Dickinson enrolls a first-year class of 107 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 18.92%. This means that of the 539 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 102 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 Penn State Law School - Dickinson, 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
1524
52nd percentile
Admission Offers 539
Class Size
107
11th percentile
Acceptance Rate
36.8%
65th percentile
Yield Rate
18.92%
7th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 155.79 159.76 162.58
GPA 3.31 3.53 3.57
Softs T3.19 T3.21 T3.23
Avg Scholarship - - $139,313
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
66th percentile
157 162 163
GPA
61st percentile
3.29 3.63 3.84
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 155.0 (-2.0) 160.5 (-1.5) 164.0 (+1.0)
GPA 3.34 (+0.05) 3.56 (-0.07) 3.8 (-0.04)
* Based on 166 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 46 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 33 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that Penn State Law School - Dickinson typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 157 (25th percentile) to 163 (75th percentile), with a median of 162.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.29 to 3.84, with a median of 3.63.

With an acceptance rate of 36.8%, Penn State Law School - Dickinson 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

Penn State Law School - Dickinson Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 166 apps

Penn State Law School - Dickinson Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

94.7%
87th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

88.31%
78th percentile

Median Starting Salary

-
Private Sector
33rd percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

89.3%
85th percentile

BigLaw Placement

6.7%
49th percentile

Federal Clerkships

5.3%
82nd percentile

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 67 1 68 90.7%
JD Advantage 3 0 3 4.0%
Professional 0 0.0%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 0 0 0 0.0%
Total Employed 70 1 0 0 71 94.7%
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 42.7%
23rd percentile
Judicial Clerkships 16.0%
81st percentile
Government 18.7%
86th percentile
Public Interest 13.3%
87th percentile
Business 2.7%
9th percentile
Academia 1.3%
53rd percentile
Unemployment Rate: 5.3% (graduates actively seeking employment)

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 4 5.3%
82nd percentile
State/Local 8 10.7%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
88.31%
78th percentile
Takers: 77
Passed: 68
vs State Avg +14.8%
Ultimate Pass Rate
94.12%
60th percentile
Takers: 68
Passed: 64
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
73.46%
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
No data available
Public Sector
No data available

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at Penn State Law School - Dickinson is $115k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $54k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

For JD graduates from Penn State Law School - Dickinson, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 88.31%. Within two years, 94.12% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +14.8% 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.

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