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UCLA Law (UCLA)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2020-2021 cycle — 1780 applicants reporting.
20-21 · selected
19-20 · previous
ABA 509 (2020): 6,034 apps · 1,373 offers · 311 enrolled · 22.75% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 447 total (incl. 4 from waitlist) · 11.4% yield
Waitlist · 756 total · 0.5% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2020)
96th percentile
|
164 | 169 | 171 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 166 | 169 | 172 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2020)
89th percentile
|
3.54 | 3.79 | 3.90 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.54 | 3.74 | 3.88 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 164.22 | 168.51 | 170.63 |
| GPA | 3.51 | 3.69 | 3.78 |
| Softs | T3.21 | T3.28 | T3.25 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $83,149 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
6034
97th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 1373 |
| Class Size |
311
88th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
22.75%
87th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
21.7%
14th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 74 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 68 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.7% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 66.7% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2020-2021) decisions (solid) vs. 443 decisions from Previous Cycle (2019-2020) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is UCLA Law 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
Employment Statistics Notice
5.8% of employed graduates are in school-funded positions, which may temporarily inflate employment rates.
88.5% of UCLA Law graduates secured JD-required employment, with a median private sector salary of $190,000 and a 89.46% 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 ★ 262 (84.0% of class)
JD Advantage 14 (4.5% of class)
Professional 1 (0.3% of class)
Other 1 (0.3% of class)
School-Funded 18 (5.8% 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 ★ | 261 | 1 | — | — | 262 | 84.0% |
| JD Advantage | 11 | 3 | — | — | 14 | 4.5% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0.3% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0.3% |
| School-Funded | 12 | 6 | — | — | 18 | 5.8% |
| Total Employed | 284 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 296 | 94.9% |
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 | 68.9% |
96th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 6.1% |
43rd percentile
|
| Government | 4.5% |
9th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 9.9% |
75th percentile
|
| Business | 4.5% |
13th percentile
|
| Academia | 1.0% |
51st percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 15 | 4.8% |
79th percentile
|
| State/Local | 4 | 1.3% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 89.46% |
80th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 95.4% |
80th percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 70.94% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at UCLA Law is $107k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $62k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at UCLA Law, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $190,000. 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 68.9% of UCLA Law JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 6.1% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 9.9% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 88.5% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from UCLA Law, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 89.46%. Within two years, 95.4% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +18.5% 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
Annual Fees
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
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Read moreAbout UCLA Law admissions
UCLA Law , commonly known as UCLA, is a prestigious JD program located in Los Angeles, California. In the competitive 2020 law school rankings, UCLA Law was ranked 15 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2020 ABA 509 Report, UCLA Law has an entering 1L class size of approximately 311 with an acceptance rate of 22.75%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
About UCLA Law Admissions
Based on the 2020 ABA 509 Report, 6034 candidates submitted JD applications to UCLA Law and 1373 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 22.75%.
The JD program at UCLA Law enrolls a first-year class of 311 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 21.7%. This means that of the 1373 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 298 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 UCLA 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.
What LSAT score do I need for UCLA Law?
The above statistics show that UCLA Law typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 164 (25th percentile) to 171 (75th percentile), with a median of 169.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.54 to 3.90, with a median of 3.79.
With an acceptance rate of 22.75%, UCLA 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).