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UC Irvine Law logo

UC Irvine Law

Irvine, California

Rank #35 (USNWR 2021)

167
LSAT
3.69
GPA
20.0%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2021 admissions cycle

167
LSAT
3.69
GPA
20.0%
Admit Rate

UC Irvine Law is a prestigious JD program located in Irvine, California. In the competitive 2021 law school rankings, UC Irvine Law was ranked 35 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2021 admissions cycle, UC Irvine Law has an entering 1L class size of approximately 169 with an acceptance rate of 20.0%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
CALIFORNIA-IRVINE, UNIVERSITY OF UCI
Law School Applications
3600
JD application volume in 2021 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
20.0%
89th percentile
JD Program Size
169
42nd percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$116k

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UC Irvine Law Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2021-2022 Cycle Overview
426 applicants
Accepted
9 / 80
Waitlisted
138
Rejected
38
-
Withdrawn
94
-

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:
  • Zoom: Click and drag to zoom into a specific area
  • Reset zoom: Double-click anywhere on the graph
  • 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 2021 admissions cycle at UC Irvine Law, 3600 candidates submitted JD applications and 606 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 20.0%.

The JD program at UC Irvine Law enrolls a first-year class of 169 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 27.39%. This means that of the 606 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 166 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 Irvine 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.

JD Admission Requirements & Application Statistics

Admissions Metrics (ABA 509)
Metric Value
Applications
3600
80th percentile
Admission Offers 606
Class Size
169
42nd percentile
Acceptance Rate
20.0%
89th percentile
Yield Rate
27.39%
32nd percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 158.14 164.74 168.05
GPA 3.48 3.61 3.75
Softs T3.37 T3.27 T3.23
Avg Scholarship - - $91,904
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
87th percentile
163 167 168
GPA
65th percentile
3.50 3.69 3.80
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 161.0 (-2.0) 166.0 (-1.0) 169.0 (+1.0)
GPA 3.44 (-0.06) 3.68 (-0.01) 3.86 (+0.06)
* Based on 426 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 88 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 57 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that UC Irvine Law typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 163 (25th percentile) to 168 (75th percentile), with a median of 167.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.50 to 3.80, with a median of 3.69.

With an acceptance rate of 20.0%, UC Irvine Law 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 Irvine Law Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 426 apps

UC Irvine Law Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

84.8%
37th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

86.36%
61st percentile

Median Starting Salary

$180,000
Private Sector
88th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

77.3%
60th percentile

BigLaw Placement

33.2%
89th percentile

Federal Clerkships

0.9%
37th percentile

School-Funded Positions

4.3%

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 163 3 166 78.7%
JD Advantage 9 4 13 6.2%
Professional 2 0.9%
Other 1 0.5%
School-Funded 9 0 9 4.3%
Total Employed 181 7 0 0 191 90.5%
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 64.9%
89th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 2.4%
18th percentile
Government 6.2%
13th percentile
Public Interest 10.9%
83rd percentile
Business 5.7%
18th percentile
Academia 0.5%
23rd percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 2 0.9%
37th percentile
State/Local 2 0.9%
Tribal 1 0.5%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
86.36%
61st percentile
Takers: 132
Passed: 114
vs State Avg +8.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
92.04%
55th percentile
Takers: 113
Passed: 104
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
77.97%
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 $180,000
88th percentile
25th Percentile $100,000
87th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $60,000
58th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at UC Irvine Law is $116k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $67k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at UC Irvine Law, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $180,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $60,000. 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 64.9% of UC Irvine Law JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 2.4% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 10.9% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 84.8% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from UC Irvine Law, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 86.36%. Within two years, 92.04% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +8.4% 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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