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UNC Law School logo

UNC Law School

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Rank #22 (USNWR 2023)

166
LSAT
3.78
GPA
14.6%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2023 admissions cycle

166
LSAT
3.78
GPA
14.6%
Admit Rate

UNC Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, UNC Law School was ranked 22 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2023 admissions cycle, UNC Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 179 with an acceptance rate of 14.6%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
NORTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF UNC
Law School Applications
2815
JD application volume in 2023 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
14.6%
92nd percentile
JD Program Size
179
55th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$89k

A good lawyer knows the law; a great lawyer knows the judge.

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UNC Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2023-2024 Cycle Overview
591 applicants
Accepted
27 / 82
Waitlisted
120
Rejected
167
-
Withdrawn
112
-

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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  • 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 2023 admissions cycle at UNC Law School, 2815 candidates submitted JD applications and 458 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 14.6%.

The JD program at UNC Law School enrolls a first-year class of 179 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 37.99%. This means that of the 458 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 174 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
2815
77th percentile
Admission Offers 458
Class Size
179
55th percentile
Acceptance Rate
14.6%
92nd percentile
Yield Rate
37.99%
83rd percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 162.56 165.41 167.95
GPA 3.55 3.68 3.82
Softs T3.24 T3.28 T3.33
Avg Scholarship - - $57,371
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
81st percentile
162 166 167
GPA
77th percentile
3.61 3.78 3.90
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 163.0 (+1.0) 166.0 (0.0) 169.0 (+2.0)
GPA 3.53 (-0.08) 3.76 (-0.02) 3.9 (0.0)
* Based on 591 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 79 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 49 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 3.90, with a median of 3.78.

With an acceptance rate of 14.6%, 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 591 apps

UNC Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

96.8%
96th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

93.75%
93rd percentile

Median Starting Salary

$125,000
Private Sector
77th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

89.9%
89th percentile

BigLaw Placement

19.6%
78th percentile

Federal Clerkships

6.3%
87th percentile

School-Funded Positions

1.6%

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 170 0 170 89.9%
JD Advantage 13 0 13 6.9%
Professional 2 1.1%
Other 1 0.5%
School-Funded 0 3 3 1.6%
Total Employed 183 3 0 0 189 100.0%
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 57.1%
68th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 11.6%
69th percentile
Government 11.6%
47th percentile
Public Interest 6.9%
35th percentile
Business 10.6%
74th percentile
Academia 2.1%
76th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 12 6.3%
87th 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
93.75%
93rd percentile
Takers: 176
Passed: 166
vs State Avg +20.5%
Ultimate Pass Rate
96.86%
80th percentile
Takers: 191
Passed: 185
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
73.27%
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 $125,000
77th percentile
25th Percentile $80,000
63rd percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $60,000
17th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at UNC Law School is $89k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $56k 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 $125,000. 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 57.1% of UNC Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 11.6% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 6.9% 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 93.75%. Within two years, 96.86% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +20.5% 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.

Justice is truth in action.

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