Hate ads? Verify your stats for ad-free LSD+ → Hate ads? Verify for LSD+ → Learn More
Connection lost
Server error
Santa Clara University School of Law (Santa)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2024-2025 cycle — 307 applicants reporting.
24-25 · selected
23-24 · previous
ABA 509 (2024): 1,981 apps · 1,314 offers · 246 enrolled · 66.33% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 171 total · 1.8% yield
Waitlist · 25 total
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2024)
48th percentile
|
154 | 157 | 160 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 156 | 159 | 164 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2024)
19th percentile
|
3.15 | 3.44 | 3.69 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.26 | 3.54 | 3.8 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 153.2 | 159.83 | 162.05 |
| GPA | 3.25 | 3.47 | 3.57 |
| Softs | T3.07 | T3.24 | T3.28 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $102,038 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
1981
63rd percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 1314 |
| Class Size |
246
77th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
66.33%
7th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
18.57%
5th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 54 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 45 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.0% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | - |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2024-2025) decisions (solid) vs. 131 decisions from Previous Cycle (2023-2024) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is Santa Clara University School of Law 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
82.2% of Santa Clara University School of Law graduates secured JD-required employment, with a median private sector salary of $170,400 and a 61.79% first-time bar passage rate (2024 ABA 509 data).
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 ★ 141 (69.8% of class)
JD Advantage 25 (12.4% of class)
Professional 1 (0.5% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 5 (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 ★ | 139 | 2 | — | — | 141 | 69.8% |
| JD Advantage | 20 | 5 | — | — | 25 | 12.4% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0.5% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 0 | 5 | — | — | 5 | 2.5% |
| Total Employed | 159 | 12 | 0 | 0 | 172 | 85.1% |
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 | 60.9% |
75th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 1.0% |
5th percentile
|
| Government | 6.4% |
11th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 3.5% |
7th percentile
|
| Business | 10.9% |
89th percentile
|
| Academia | 2.5% |
85th percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 1 | 0.5% |
23rd percentile
|
| State/Local | 1 | 0.5% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 61.79% |
14th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 86.07% |
28th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 72.57% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Santa Clara University School of Law is $0k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $75k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at Santa Clara University School of Law, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $170,400. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $78,702. 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 60.9% of Santa Clara University School of Law JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 1.0% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 3.5% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 82.2% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from Santa Clara University School of Law, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 61.79%. Within two years, 86.07% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is -10.8% 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.
Scholarship & Grant Aid
Students Receiving Grants
Median Grant
Grant Range (25th–75th)
Grant Distribution
Debt & ROI
Avg Debt at Graduation
Graduates Who Borrowed
Debt-to-Salary Ratio
Conditional Scholarships
Admissions Contact
Also known as
Wisdom from Santa Clara University School of Law Admits
LowstatVetParalegal69 my name is pretty self explanatory.
Read moreMake sure you have safety schools!!! Scholarships > Rankings
Read moreAbout Santa Clara University School of Law admissions
Santa Clara University School of Law , commonly known as Santa, is a prestigious JD program located in Santa Clara, California. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, Santa Clara University School of Law was ranked 156 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. According to the 2024 ABA 509 Report, Santa Clara University School of Law has an entering 1L class size of approximately 246 with an acceptance rate of 66.33%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
About Santa Clara University School of Law Admissions
Based on the 2024 ABA 509 Report, 1981 candidates submitted JD applications to Santa Clara University School of Law and 1314 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is moderately selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 66.33%.
The JD program at Santa Clara University School of Law enrolls a first-year class of 246 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 18.57%. This means that of the 1314 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 244 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 Santa Clara University School of Law, 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 Santa Clara University School of Law?
The above statistics show that Santa Clara University School of Law typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 154 (25th percentile) to 160 (75th percentile), with a median of 157.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.15 to 3.69, with a median of 3.44.
With an acceptance rate of 66.33%, Santa Clara University School of Law 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).