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UC Berkeley Law School logo

UC Berkeley Law School

Berkeley, California

Rank #13 (USNWR 2024)

170
LSAT
3.87
GPA
17.3%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2024 admissions cycle

170
LSAT
3.87
GPA
17.3%
Admit Rate

UC Berkeley Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Berkeley, California. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, UC Berkeley Law School was ranked 13 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. For the 2024 admissions cycle, UC Berkeley Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 349 with an acceptance rate of 17.3%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
CALIFORNIA-BERKELEY, UNIVERSITY OF UCBerkeley Boalt Cal Berk
Law School Applications
6463
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
17.3%
90th percentile
JD Program Size
349
91st percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$144k

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UC Berkeley Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
1815 applicants
Accepted
56 / 232
Waitlisted
325
Rejected
706
-
Withdrawn
259
-

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 2024 admissions cycle at UC Berkeley Law School, 6463 candidates submitted JD applications and 1118 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 17.3%.

The JD program at UC Berkeley Law School enrolls a first-year class of 349 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 30.23%. This means that of the 1118 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 338 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.

JD Admission Requirements & Application Statistics

Admissions Metrics (ABA 509)
Metric Value
Applications
6463
96th percentile
Admission Offers 1118
Class Size
349
91st percentile
Acceptance Rate
17.3%
90th percentile
Yield Rate
30.23%
53rd percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 167.71 169.45 171.88
GPA 3.69 3.78 3.93
Softs T3.16 T3.17 T3.13
Avg Scholarship - - $123,573
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
94th percentile
167 170 172
GPA
86th percentile
3.80 3.87 3.95
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 166.0 (-1.0) 170.0 (0.0) 173.0 (+1.0)
GPA 3.68 (-0.12) 3.85 (-0.02) 3.95 (0.0)
* Based on 1815 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 81 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 68 days
Interview Invite Rate 4.2%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 32.9%

The above statistics show that UC Berkeley Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 167 (25th percentile) to 172 (75th percentile), with a median of 170.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.80 to 3.95, with a median of 3.87.

With an acceptance rate of 17.3%, UC Berkeley Law School is considered a highly competitive 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

UC Berkeley Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 1815 apps

UC Berkeley Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

93.6%
77th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

88.24%
80th percentile

Median Starting Salary

-
Private Sector

Employment Quality

JD Required

91.9%
92nd percentile

BigLaw Placement

52.2%
95th percentile

Federal Clerkships

9.1%
94th percentile

School-Funded Positions

5.1%

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 375 1 376 92.2%
JD Advantage 5 1 6 1.5%
Professional 1 0.2%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 21 0 21 5.1%
Total Employed 401 2 0 0 404 99.0%
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 63.5%
83rd percentile
Judicial Clerkships 12.5%
72nd percentile
Government 4.7%
6th percentile
Public Interest 16.7%
94th percentile
Business 1.2%
4th percentile
Academia 0.5%
25th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 37 9.1%
94th percentile
State/Local 14 3.4%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
88.24%
80th percentile
Takers: 323
Passed: 285
vs State Avg +13.7%
Ultimate Pass Rate
99.07%
96th percentile
Takers: 322
Passed: 319
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
74.54%
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 UC Berkeley Law School is $144k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $87k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

For JD graduates from UC Berkeley Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 88.24%. Within two years, 99.07% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +13.7% 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.