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UC Davis Law School logo

UC Davis Law School

Davis, California

Rank #60 (USNWR 2023)

165
LSAT
3.69
GPA
25.2%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2023 admissions cycle

165
LSAT
3.69
GPA
25.2%
Admit Rate

UC Davis Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Davis, California. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, UC Davis Law School was ranked 60 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2023 admissions cycle, UC Davis Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 210 with an acceptance rate of 25.2%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
CALIFORNIA-DAVIS, UNIVERSITY OF UCD UCDavis
Law School Applications
3163
JD application volume in 2023 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
25.2%
79th percentile
JD Program Size
210
68th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$129k

You win some, you lose some, and some you just bill by the hour.

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UC Davis Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2023-2024 Cycle Overview
496 applicants
Accepted
20 / 125
Waitlisted
82
Rejected
48
-
Withdrawn
145
-

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
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  • Toggle series: Click on any legend item to show/hide that category (accepted, waitlisted, rejected, unknown)
Advanced Features:
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  • 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 2023 admissions cycle at UC Davis Law School, 3163 candidates submitted JD applications and 917 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 25.2%.

The JD program at UC Davis Law School enrolls a first-year class of 210 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 22.46%. This means that of the 917 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 206 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 Davis 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
3163
81st percentile
Admission Offers 917
Class Size
210
68th percentile
Acceptance Rate
25.2%
79th percentile
Yield Rate
22.46%
17th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 158.13 163.43 165.82
GPA 3.31 3.62 3.72
Softs T3.16 T3.25 T3.26
Avg Scholarship - - $85,353
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
81st percentile
159 165 167
GPA
55th percentile
3.49 3.69 3.82
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 160.0 (+1.0) 164.0 (-1.0) 168.0 (+1.0)
GPA 3.44 (-0.05) 3.7 (+0.01) 3.86 (+0.04)
* Based on 496 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 61 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 29 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.2%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 100.0%

The above statistics show that UC Davis Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 159 (25th percentile) to 167 (75th percentile), with a median of 165.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.49 to 3.82, with a median of 3.69.

With an acceptance rate of 25.2%, UC Davis 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).

Application Status Data

UC Davis Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 496 apps

UC Davis Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

91.6%
67th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

81.78%
62nd percentile

Median Starting Salary

$200,000
Private Sector
92nd percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

86.5%
78th percentile

BigLaw Placement

23.0%
83rd percentile

Federal Clerkships

1.1%
40th percentile

School-Funded Positions

2.8%

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 154 0 154 86.5%
JD Advantage 7 2 9 5.1%
Professional 0 0.0%
Other 2 1.1%
School-Funded 2 3 5 2.8%
Total Employed 163 5 0 0 170 95.5%
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 50.0%
45th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 3.9%
27th percentile
Government 10.7%
40th percentile
Public Interest 21.3%
98th percentile
Business 6.7%
40th percentile
Academia 2.2%
78th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 2 1.1%
40th percentile
State/Local 5 2.8%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
81.78%
62nd percentile
Takers: 214
Passed: 175
vs State Avg +9.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
90.97%
43rd percentile
Takers: 144
Passed: 131
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
72.4%
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
Median Salary $200,000
92nd percentile
25th Percentile $125,000
93rd percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $76,333
93rd percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at UC Davis Law School is $129k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $73k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at UC Davis Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $200,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $76,333. 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 50.0% of UC Davis Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 3.9% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 21.3% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 91.6% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from UC Davis Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 81.78%. Within two years, 90.97% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +9.4% 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.

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