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Pepperdine Law School
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2023-2024 cycle — 537 applicants reporting.
23-24 · selected
22-23 · previous
ABA 509 (2023): 3,485 apps · 982 offers · 182 enrolled · 28.18% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 213 total (incl. 3 from waitlist) · 2.3% yield
Waitlist · 138 total · 2.2% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2023)
77th percentile
|
159 | 164 | 166 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 159 | 163 | 167 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2023)
84th percentile
|
3.48 | 3.86 | 3.93 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.45 | 3.7 | 3.88 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 157.37 | 162.59 | 166.69 |
| GPA | 3.34 | 3.62 | 3.77 |
| Softs | T2.95 | T3.2 | T3.29 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $113,543 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
3485
83rd percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 982 |
| Class Size |
182
57th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
28.18%
81st percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
17.62%
5th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 76 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 59 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.0% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | - |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2023-2024) decisions (solid) vs. 194 decisions from Previous Cycle (2022-2023) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is Pepperdine 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
Employment outcomes data from ABA 509 disclosures is shown below.
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 ★ 128 (80.5% of class)
JD Advantage 9 (5.7% of class)
Professional 0 (0.0% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 4 (2.5% 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 ★ | 128 | 0 | — | — | 128 | 80.5% |
| JD Advantage | 9 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 5.7% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 4 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 2.5% |
| Total Employed | 141 | 0 | 0 | 0 | 141 | 88.7% |
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 | 65.4% |
87th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 4.4% |
32nd percentile
|
| Government | 7.5% |
21st percentile
|
| Public Interest | 1.9% |
1st percentile
|
| Business | 8.2% |
58th percentile
|
| Academia | 1.3% |
53rd percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 3 | 1.9% |
55th percentile
|
| State/Local | 4 | 2.5% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 79.5% |
58th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 90.77% |
42nd percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 72.84% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Pepperdine Law School is $134k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $62k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
For JD graduates from Pepperdine Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 79.5%. Within two years, 90.77% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +6.7% 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
Conditional Scholarships
Admissions Contact
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Read moreAbout Pepperdine Law School admissions
Pepperdine Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Malibu , California. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, Pepperdine Law School was ranked 45 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. According to the 2023 ABA 509 Report, Pepperdine Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 182 with an acceptance rate of 28.18%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
About Pepperdine Law School Admissions
Based on the 2023 ABA 509 Report, 3485 candidates submitted JD applications to Pepperdine Law School and 982 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 28.18%.
The JD program at Pepperdine Law School enrolls a first-year class of 182 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 17.62%. This means that of the 982 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 173 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 Pepperdine 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 Pepperdine Law School?
The above statistics show that Pepperdine Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 159 (25th percentile) to 166 (75th percentile), with a median of 164.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.48 to 3.93, with a median of 3.86.
With an acceptance rate of 28.18%, Pepperdine 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).