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

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USF Law School logo

USF Law School

San Francisco, California

Rank #148 (USNWR 2020)

158
LSAT
3.42
GPA
38.66%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2020 admissions cycle

158
LSAT
3.42
GPA
38.66%
Admit Rate

USF Law School is a prestigious JD program located in San Francisco, California. In the competitive 2020 law school rankings, USF Law School was ranked 148 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2020 admissions cycle, USF Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 380 with an acceptance rate of 38.66%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
SAN FRANCISCO, UNIVERSITY OF USF
Law School Applications
3319
JD application volume in 2020 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
38.66%
64th percentile
JD Program Size
380
94th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$51k

A 'reasonable person' is a legal fiction I'm pretty sure I've never met.

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USF Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2020-2021 Cycle Overview
82 applicants
Accepted
1 / 33
Waitlisted
10
Rejected
1
-
Withdrawn
28
-

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 2020 admissions cycle at USF Law School, 3319 candidates submitted JD applications and 1283 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 38.66%.

The JD program at USF Law School enrolls a first-year class of 380 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 28.68%. This means that of the 1283 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 368 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 USF 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
3319
85th percentile
Admission Offers 1283
Class Size
380
94th percentile
Acceptance Rate
38.66%
64th percentile
Yield Rate
28.68%
43rd percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 154.0 156.83 159.6
GPA 2.68 3.36 3.44
Softs T4.0 T3.22 T3.18
Avg Scholarship - - $93,409
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
65th percentile
155 158 161
GPA
29th percentile
3.20 3.42 3.60
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 152.0 (-3.0) 156.0 (-2.0) 161.0 (0.0)
GPA 3.05 (-0.15) 3.4 (-0.02) 3.66 (+0.06)
* Based on 82 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 40 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 21 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.0%
Interview → Acceptance Rate -

The above statistics show that USF Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 155 (25th percentile) to 161 (75th percentile), with a median of 158.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.20 to 3.60, with a median of 3.42.

With an acceptance rate of 38.66%, USF 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

USF Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 82 apps

USF Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

77.9%
30th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

79.74%
46th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$90,000
Private Sector
66th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

67.8%
40th percentile

BigLaw Placement

14.1%
79th percentile

Federal Clerkships

4.0%
75th percentile

School-Funded Positions

8.1%

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 202 9 211 70.8%
JD Advantage 15 6 21 7.0%
Professional 3 1.0%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 20 4 24 8.1%
Total Employed 237 19 0 0 259 86.9%
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 48.0%
54th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 5.7%
42nd percentile
Government 8.1%
28th percentile
Public Interest 14.1%
94th percentile
Business 9.1%
42nd percentile
Academia 2.0%
73rd percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 12 4.0%
75th percentile
State/Local 5 1.7%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
79.74%
46th percentile
Takers: 301
Passed: 240
vs State Avg +9.7%
Ultimate Pass Rate
83.7%
25th percentile
Takers: 270
Passed: 226
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
70.0%
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 $90,000
66th percentile
25th Percentile $68,224
57th percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $62,000
76th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at USF Law School is $51k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $61k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at USF Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $90,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $62,000. 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 48.0% of USF Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 5.7% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 14.1% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 77.9% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from USF Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 79.74%. Within two years, 83.7% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +9.7% 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.

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

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