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UNC Law School logo

UNC Law School

Chapel Hill, North Carolina

Rank #20 (USNWR 2024)

167
LSAT
3.85
GPA
16.3%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2024 admissions cycle

167
LSAT
3.85
GPA
16.3%
Admit Rate

UNC Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Chapel Hill, North Carolina. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, UNC Law School was ranked 20 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. For the 2024 admissions cycle, UNC Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 181 with an acceptance rate of 16.3%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
NORTH CAROLINA, UNIVERSITY OF UNC
Law School Applications
2616
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
16.3%
92nd percentile
JD Program Size
181
51st percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$96k

A judge is a law student who marks his own examination papers.

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UNC Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
834 applicants
Accepted
37 / 89
Waitlisted
172
Rejected
321
-
Withdrawn
118
-

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:
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  • 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 2024 admissions cycle at UNC Law School, 2616 candidates submitted JD applications and 397 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 16.3%.

The JD program at UNC Law School enrolls a first-year class of 181 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 44.58%. This means that of the 397 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 177 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
2616
74th percentile
Admission Offers 397
Class Size
181
51st percentile
Acceptance Rate
16.3%
92nd percentile
Yield Rate
44.58%
92nd percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 163.75 165.92 169.07
GPA 3.63 3.71 3.88
Softs T3.3 T3.28 T3.3
Avg Scholarship - - $52,592
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
85th percentile
164 167 168
GPA
79th percentile
3.73 3.85 3.92
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 163.0 (-1.0) 166.0 (-1.0) 169.0 (+1.0)
GPA 3.59 (-0.14) 3.8 (-0.05) 3.92 (0.0)
* Based on 834 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 83 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 52 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 164 (25th percentile) to 168 (75th percentile), with a median of 167.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.73 to 3.92, with a median of 3.85.

With an acceptance rate of 16.3%, 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 834 apps

UNC Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

96.2%
94th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

92.0%
88th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$175,000
Private Sector

Employment Quality

JD Required

90.0%
87th percentile

BigLaw Placement

24.8%
84th percentile

Federal Clerkships

5.7%
88th percentile

School-Funded Positions

1.4%

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 189 0 189 90.0%
JD Advantage 13 0 13 6.2%
Professional 0 0.0%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 0 3 3 1.4%
Total Employed 202 3 0 0 205 97.6%
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%
65th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 10.0%
66th percentile
Government 13.3%
52nd percentile
Public Interest 8.6%
58th percentile
Business 5.7%
40th percentile
Academia 2.9%
88th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 12 5.7%
88th percentile
State/Local 9 4.3%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
92.0%
88th percentile
Takers: 175
Passed: 161
vs State Avg +16.5%
Ultimate Pass Rate
94.33%
71st percentile
Takers: 194
Passed: 183
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
75.48%
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 $175,000
25th Percentile $85,000
Public Sector
Median Salary $67,000

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at UNC Law School is $96k 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 $175,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $67,000. 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, 10.0% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 8.6% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 96.2% 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 92.0%. Within two years, 94.33% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +16.5% 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.

Law school: Where you spend three years learning to think like a lawyer, then a lifetime trying to think like a human again.

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