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UMD Law School logo

UMD Law School

College Park, Maryland

Rank #47 (USNWR 2020)

160
LSAT
3.66
GPA
36.42%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2020 admissions cycle

160
LSAT
3.66
GPA
36.42%
Admit Rate

UMD Law School is a prestigious JD program located in College Park, Maryland. In the competitive 2020 law school rankings, UMD Law School was ranked 47 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2020 admissions cycle, UMD Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 205 with an acceptance rate of 36.42%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
MARYLAND, UNIVERSITY OF UMD
Law School Applications
2106
JD application volume in 2020 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
36.42%
69th percentile
JD Program Size
205
65th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$48k

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UMD Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2020-2021 Cycle Overview
349 applicants
Accepted
9 / 116
Waitlisted
63
Rejected
33
-
Withdrawn
98
-

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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  • 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 2020 admissions cycle at UMD Law School, 2106 candidates submitted JD applications and 767 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 36.42%.

The JD program at UMD Law School enrolls a first-year class of 205 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 26.34%. This means that of the 767 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 202 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 UMD 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
2106
73rd percentile
Admission Offers 767
Class Size
205
65th percentile
Acceptance Rate
36.42%
69th percentile
Yield Rate
26.34%
30th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 156.06 160.95 162.98
GPA 3.1 3.45 3.57
Softs T3.03 T3.22 T3.19
Avg Scholarship - - $86,346
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
71st percentile
154 160 162
GPA
63rd percentile
3.35 3.66 3.76
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 158.0 (+4.0) 161.0 (+1.0) 164.0 (+2.0)
GPA 3.21 (-0.14) 3.51 (-0.15) 3.75 (-0.01)
* Based on 349 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 68 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 45 days
Interview Invite Rate 29.5%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 88.3%

The above statistics show that UMD Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 154 (25th percentile) to 162 (75th percentile), with a median of 160.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.35 to 3.76, with a median of 3.66.

With an acceptance rate of 36.42%, UMD 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

UMD Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 349 apps

UMD Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

91.4%
89th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

86.15%
70th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$75,000
Private Sector
41st percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

70.1%
48th percentile

BigLaw Placement

9.1%
70th percentile

Federal Clerkships

4.8%
79th percentile

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 131 2 133 71.1%
JD Advantage 27 11 38 20.3%
Professional 6 3.2%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 0 0 0 0.0%
Total Employed 158 13 0 0 177 94.7%
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 33.2%
10th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 27.8%
95th percentile
Government 12.8%
66th percentile
Public Interest 3.7%
18th percentile
Business 10.7%
61st percentile
Academia 6.4%
99th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 9 4.8%
79th percentile
State/Local 43 23.0%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
86.15%
70th percentile
Takers: 195
Passed: 168
vs State Avg +9.0%
Ultimate Pass Rate
84.27%
26th percentile
Takers: 178
Passed: 150
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
77.13%
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 $75,000
41st percentile
25th Percentile $60,000
41st percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $50,505
14th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at UMD Law School is $48k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $49k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at UMD Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $75,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $50,505. 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 33.2% of UMD Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 27.8% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 3.7% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 91.4% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from UMD Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 86.15%. Within two years, 84.27% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +9.0% 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.