If we desire respect for the law, we must first make the law respectable.

✨ Enjoy an ad-free experience with LSD+

Penn State Law School logo

Penn State Law School

State College, Pennsylvania

Rank #68 (USNWR 2024)

155
LSAT
3.71
GPA
51.4%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2024 admissions cycle

155
LSAT
3.71
GPA
51.4%
Admit Rate

Penn State Law School is a prestigious JD program located in State College, Pennsylvania. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, Penn State Law School was ranked 68 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2024 admissions cycle, Penn State Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 128 with an acceptance rate of 51.4%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
PENNSYLVANIA STATE - PENN STATE LAW PSU
Law School Applications
1397
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
51.4%
33rd percentile
JD Program Size
128
20th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$113k

The life of the law has not been logic; it has been experience.

✨ Enjoy an ad-free experience with LSD+

Penn State Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
92 applicants
Accepted
1 / 17
Waitlisted
5
Rejected
8
-
Withdrawn
21
-

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:
  • Zoom: Click and drag to zoom into a specific area
  • Reset zoom: Double-click anywhere on the graph
  • 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 2024 admissions cycle at Penn State Law School, 1397 candidates submitted JD applications and 718 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is moderately selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 51.4%.

The JD program at Penn State Law School enrolls a first-year class of 128 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 17.55%. This means that of the 718 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 126 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, 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
1397
47th percentile
Admission Offers 718
Class Size
128
20th percentile
Acceptance Rate
51.4%
33rd percentile
Yield Rate
17.55%
3rd percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 156.29 159.41 162.85
GPA 3.34 3.51 3.65
Softs T3.4 T3.35 T3.44
Avg Scholarship - - $119,844
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
36th percentile
152 155 158
GPA
51st percentile
3.50 3.71 3.83
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 155.0 (+3.0) 159.0 (+4.0) 163.75 (+5.75)
GPA 3.38 (-0.12) 3.64 (-0.07) 3.82 (-0.01)
* Based on 92 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 71 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 61 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that Penn State Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 152 (25th percentile) to 158 (75th percentile), with a median of 155.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.50 to 3.83, with a median of 3.71.

With an acceptance rate of 51.4%, Penn State Law School is considered a moderately 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 Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 92 apps

Penn State Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

-

First-Time Bar Pass

86.79%
75th percentile

Median Starting Salary

-
Private Sector

Employment Quality

JD Required

0.0%

BigLaw Placement

0.0%

Federal Clerkships

0.0%

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 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%
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 56.2%
64th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 14.3%
81st percentile
Government 16.2%
75th percentile
Public Interest 3.8%
9th percentile
Business 7.6%
58th percentile
Academia 1.9%
75th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
86.79%
75th percentile
Takers: 106
Passed: 92
vs State Avg +11.2%
Ultimate Pass Rate
96.43%
80th percentile
Takers: 112
Passed: 108
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
75.6%
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 is $113k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $48k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

For JD graduates from Penn State Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 86.79%. Within two years, 96.43% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +11.2% 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.

Injustice anywhere is a threat to justice everywhere.

✨ Enjoy an ad-free experience with LSD+