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USD Law School (USD)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2022-2023 cycle — 414 applicants reporting.
22-23 · selected
21-22 · previous
ABA 509 (2022): 3,448 apps · 1,189 offers · 254 enrolled · 34.48% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 179 total (incl. 7 from waitlist) · 6.7% yield
Waitlist · 76 total · 9.2% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2022)
66th percentile
|
157 | 161 | 163 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 157 | 161 | 165 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2022)
72nd percentile
|
3.45 | 3.74 | 3.86 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.31 | 3.63 | 3.83 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 153.53 | 161.22 | 163.35 |
| GPA | 3.35 | 3.54 | 3.67 |
| Softs | T3.24 | T3.3 | T3.29 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $114,848 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
3448
83rd percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 1189 |
| Class Size |
254
82nd percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
34.48%
64th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
22.2%
13th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 100 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 100 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 0.0% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | - |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2022-2023) decisions (solid) vs. 94 decisions from Previous Cycle (2021-2022) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is USD Law School 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
8.2% of employed graduates are in school-funded positions, which may temporarily inflate employment rates.
87.3% of USD Law School graduates secured JD-required employment, with a median private sector salary of $102,000 and a 81.78% first-time bar passage rate (2022 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 ★ 181 (73.9% of class)
JD Advantage 33 (13.5% of class)
Professional 1 (0.4% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 20 (8.2% 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 ★ | 176 | 5 | — | — | 181 | 73.9% |
| JD Advantage | 30 | 3 | — | — | 33 | 13.5% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0.4% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 5 | 15 | — | — | 20 | 8.2% |
| Total Employed | 211 | 23 | 0 | 0 | 235 | 95.9% |
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 | 54.7% |
64th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 2.9% |
21st percentile
|
| Government | 8.2% |
26th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 9.4% |
68th percentile
|
| Business | 12.2% |
72nd percentile
|
| Academia | 8.6% |
100th percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 4 | 1.6% |
54th percentile
|
| State/Local | 3 | 1.2% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 81.78% |
58th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 91.3% |
43rd percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 76.97% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at USD Law School is $120k 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 USD Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $102,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $65,302. 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 54.7% of USD Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 2.9% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 9.4% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 87.3% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from USD Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 81.78%. Within two years, 91.3% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +4.8% 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
Admissions Contact
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Read moreAbout USD Law School admissions
USD Law School , commonly known as USD, is a prestigious JD program located in San Diego, California. In the competitive 2022 law school rankings, USD Law School was ranked 64 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. According to the 2022 ABA 509 Report, USD Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 254 with an acceptance rate of 34.48%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.
About USD Law School Admissions
Based on the 2022 ABA 509 Report, 3448 candidates submitted JD applications to USD Law School and 1189 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 34.48%.
The JD program at USD Law School enrolls a first-year class of 254 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 22.2%. This means that of the 1189 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 264 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 USD 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.
What LSAT score do I need for USD Law School?
The above statistics show that USD Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 157 (25th percentile) to 163 (75th percentile), with a median of 161.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.45 to 3.86, with a median of 3.74.
With an acceptance rate of 34.48%, USD 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).