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UNC Law School

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Rank #23 (USNWR 2022)

166
LSAT
3.77
GPA
15.5%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2022 admissions cycle

166
LSAT
3.77
GPA
15.5%
Admit Rate

UNC Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In the competitive 2022 law school rankings, UNC Law School was ranked 23 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2022 admissions cycle, UNC Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 188 with an acceptance rate of 15.5%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
NORTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF UNC
Law School Applications
2766
JD application volume in 2022 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
15.5%
93rd percentile
JD Program Size
188
56th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
-

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UNC Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2022-2023 Cycle Overview
599 applicants
Accepted
32 / 80
Waitlisted
98
Rejected
153
-
Withdrawn
111
-

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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  • 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:
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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 2022 admissions cycle at UNC Law School, 2766 candidates submitted JD applications and 404 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 15.5%.

The JD program at UNC Law School enrolls a first-year class of 188 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 44.06%. This means that of the 404 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 178 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 UNC 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
2766
75th percentile
Admission Offers 404
Class Size
188
56th percentile
Acceptance Rate
15.5%
93rd percentile
Yield Rate
44.06%
93rd percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 163.72 165.27 167.27
GPA 3.56 3.67 3.75
Softs T3.28 T3.29 T3.2
Avg Scholarship - - $53,676
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
83rd percentile
162 166 167
GPA
77th percentile
3.61 3.77 3.88
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 162.0 (0.0) 165.0 (-1.0) 169.0 (+2.0)
GPA 3.54 (-0.07) 3.75 (-0.02) 3.89 (+0.01)
* Based on 599 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 84 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 76 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that UNC Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 162 (25th percentile) to 167 (75th percentile), with a median of 166.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.61 to 3.88, with a median of 3.77.

With an acceptance rate of 15.5%, UNC Law School is considered a highly competitive 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

UNC Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 599 apps

UNC Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

96.8%
97th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

89.25%
78th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$118,000
Private Sector
86th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

86.8%
81st percentile

BigLaw Placement

21.2%
83rd percentile

Federal Clerkships

4.8%
82nd 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 164 0 164 86.8%
JD Advantage 19 0 19 10.1%
Professional 1 0.5%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 0 0 0 0.0%
Total Employed 183 0 0 0 184 97.4%
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 60.3%
82nd percentile
Judicial Clerkships 10.1%
65th percentile
Government 9.0%
33rd percentile
Public Interest 8.5%
58th percentile
Business 6.9%
33rd percentile
Academia 2.6%
86th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 9 4.8%
82nd percentile
State/Local 10 5.3%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
89.25%
78th percentile
Takers: 186
Passed: 166
vs State Avg +9.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
94.53%
68th percentile
Takers: 201
Passed: 190
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
79.81%
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 $118,000
86th percentile
25th Percentile $75,000
78th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $57,500
44th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at UNC Law School is - annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $52k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at UNC Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $118,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $57,500. 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 60.3% of UNC Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 10.1% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 8.5% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 96.8% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from UNC Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 89.25%. Within two years, 94.53% 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.

Law school is a lot like juggling. With chainsaws. While on a unicycle.

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