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UC Berkeley Law School (UCBerkeley)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2020-2021 cycle — 2004 applicants reporting.
20-21 · selected
19-20 · previous
ABA 509 (2020): 5,667 apps · 1,220 offers · 352 enrolled · 21.53% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 398 total · 14.3% yield
Waitlist · 445 total
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2020)
94th percentile
|
163 | 168 | 170 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 167 | 170 | 173 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2020)
94th percentile
|
3.65 | 3.81 | 3.93 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.63 | 3.8 | 3.91 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 168.35 | 169.76 | 171.76 |
| GPA | 3.64 | 3.74 | 3.86 |
| Softs | T3.29 | T3.29 | T3.17 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $87,235 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
5667
96th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 1220 |
| Class Size |
352
92nd percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
21.53%
90th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
27.46%
37th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 89 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 68 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.2% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 0.0% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2020-2021) decisions (solid) vs. 449 decisions from Previous Cycle (2019-2020) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is UC Berkeley 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
91.2% of UC Berkeley Law School graduates secured JD-required employment, with a median private sector salary of $190,000 and a 90.74% first-time bar passage rate (2020 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 ★ 297 (89.7% of class)
JD Advantage 5 (1.5% of class)
Professional 0 (0.0% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 13 (3.9% 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 ★ | 293 | 4 | — | — | 297 | 89.7% |
| JD Advantage | 5 | 0 | — | — | 5 | 1.5% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 13 | 0 | — | — | 13 | 3.9% |
| Total Employed | 311 | 4 | 0 | 0 | 315 | 95.2% |
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 | 60.7% |
89th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 14.8% |
75th percentile
|
| Government | 5.4% |
12th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 12.1% |
88th percentile
|
| Business | 1.2% |
2nd percentile
|
| Academia | 0.9% |
46th percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 35 | 10.6% |
94th percentile
|
| State/Local | 14 | 4.2% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 90.74% |
84th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 97.32% |
92nd percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 71.95% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at UC Berkeley Law School is $126k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $65k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at UC Berkeley 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 $62,000. 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 60.7% of UC Berkeley Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 14.8% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 12.1% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 91.2% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from UC Berkeley Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 90.74%. Within two years, 97.32% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +18.8% 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.
Cost of Attendance
Annual Tuition
Cost of Living
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
This school reports no conditional scholarships.
Admissions Contact
Also known as
Wisdom from UC Berkeley Law School Admits
blackletterlaw left no wisdom for posterity… (◕︵◕) Do not let me and the advice I’ve written...
Read moreWrote why Xs/supplements for all schools except for HLS and Chicago; wrote a 4-page PS for...
Read moreMy handle is the same on Reddit if you have any questions (or if you want to view my cycle...
Read moreMy top 5 takeaways: Apply early You probably can’t game HYS Be explicit about what you want...
Read moreAbout UC Berkeley Law School admissions
UC Berkeley Law School , commonly known as UCBerkeley, is a prestigious JD program located in Berkeley, California. In the competitive 2020 law school rankings, UC Berkeley Law School was ranked 9 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2020 ABA 509 Report, UC Berkeley Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 352 with an acceptance rate of 21.53%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
About UC Berkeley Law School Admissions
Based on the 2020 ABA 509 Report, 5667 candidates submitted JD applications to UC Berkeley Law School and 1220 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 21.53%.
The JD program at UC Berkeley Law School enrolls a first-year class of 352 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 27.46%. This means that of the 1220 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 335 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 UC Berkeley 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 UC Berkeley Law School?
The above statistics show that UC Berkeley Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 163 (25th percentile) to 170 (75th percentile), with a median of 168.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.65 to 3.93, with a median of 3.81.
With an acceptance rate of 21.53%, UC Berkeley 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).