UC Davis Law School logo

UC Davis Law School

Davis, California

Rank #50 (USNWR 2024)

163
LSAT
3.68
GPA
33.2%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2024 admissions cycle

163
LSAT
3.68
GPA
33.2%
Admit Rate

UC Davis Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Davis, California. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, UC Davis Law School was ranked 50 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2024 admissions cycle, UC Davis Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 198 with an acceptance rate of 33.2%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
CALIFORNIA-DAVIS, UNIVERSITY OF UCD UCDavis
Law School Applications
2880
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
33.2%
67th percentile
JD Program Size
198
58th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$134k

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UC Davis Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
729 applicants
Accepted
19 / 129
Waitlisted
151
Rejected
140
-
Withdrawn
165
-

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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  • 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 Davis Law School, 2880 candidates submitted JD applications and 955 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 33.2%.

The JD program at UC Davis Law School enrolls a first-year class of 198 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 20.1%. This means that of the 955 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 192 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
2880
77th percentile
Admission Offers 955
Class Size
198
58th percentile
Acceptance Rate
33.2%
67th percentile
Yield Rate
20.1%
9th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 158.52 163.58 167.31
GPA 3.37 3.6 3.73
Softs T3.24 T3.22 T3.25
Avg Scholarship - - $98,762
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
74th percentile
159 163 165
GPA
66th percentile
3.48 3.68 3.87
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 159.0 (0.0) 164.0 (+1.0) 168.0 (+3.0)
GPA 3.4 (-0.08) 3.67 (-0.01) 3.87 (0.0)
* Based on 729 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 77 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 30 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that UC Davis Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 159 (25th percentile) to 165 (75th percentile), with a median of 163.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.48 to 3.87, with a median of 3.68.

With an acceptance rate of 33.2%, 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 729 apps

UC Davis Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

89.3%
46th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

82.66%
62nd percentile

Median Starting Salary

$200,000
Private Sector
91st percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

87.7%
75th percentile

BigLaw Placement

26.3%
85th percentile

Federal Clerkships

1.2%
42nd percentile

School-Funded Positions

3.3%

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 213 0 213 87.7%
JD Advantage 4 0 4 1.6%
Professional 0 0.0%
Other 1 0.4%
School-Funded 5 3 8 3.3%
Total Employed 222 3 0 0 226 93.0%
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 51.9%
52nd percentile
Judicial Clerkships 5.3%
38th percentile
Government 12.3%
44th percentile
Public Interest 18.1%
96th percentile
Business 3.3%
16th percentile
Academia 2.1%
79th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 3 1.2%
42nd percentile
State/Local 10 4.1%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
82.66%
62nd percentile
Takers: 173
Passed: 143
vs State Avg +9.8%
Ultimate Pass Rate
92.35%
61st percentile
Takers: 196
Passed: 181
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
72.84%
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
91st percentile
25th Percentile $125,000
93rd percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $76,333
92nd percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at UC Davis Law School is $134k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $66k 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 51.9% of UC Davis Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 5.3% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 18.1% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 89.3% 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 82.66%. Within two years, 92.35% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +9.8% 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.

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