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Vanderbilt Law School (Vandy)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2024-2025 cycle — 1764 applicants reporting.
24-25 · selected
23-24 · previous
ABA 509 (2024): 4,808 apps · 887 offers · 160 enrolled · 18.45% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 323 total (incl. 2 from waitlist) · 8.7% yield
Waitlist · 738 total · 0.3% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2024)
89th percentile
|
163 | 169 | 170 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 165 | 169 | 172 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2024)
83rd percentile
|
3.66 | 3.89 | 3.94 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.63 | 3.83 | 3.95 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 164.93 | 168.18 | 171.73 |
| GPA | 3.39 | 3.74 | 3.9 |
| Softs | T3.17 | T3.25 | T3.24 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $133,569 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
4808
90th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 887 |
| Class Size |
160
41st percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
18.45%
88th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
17.7%
4th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 113 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 101 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 9.9% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 53.1% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2024-2025) decisions (solid) vs. 714 decisions from Previous Cycle (2023-2024) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is Vanderbilt 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
94.6% of Vanderbilt Law School graduates secured JD-required employment, with a median private sector salary of $215,000 and a 96.97% first-time bar passage rate (2024 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 ★ 153 (92.2% of class)
JD Advantage 4 (2.4% of class)
Professional 1 (0.6% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 5 (3.0% 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 ★ | 153 | 0 | — | — | 153 | 92.2% |
| JD Advantage | 4 | 0 | — | — | 4 | 2.4% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 1 | 0.6% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 3 | 2 | — | — | 5 | 3.0% |
| Total Employed | 160 | 2 | 0 | 0 | 163 | 98.2% |
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 | 71.1% |
95th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 11.4% |
70th percentile
|
| Government | 5.4% |
8th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 6.0% |
21st percentile
|
| Business | 2.4% |
9th percentile
|
| Academia | 1.8% |
71st percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 15 | 9.0% |
93rd percentile
|
| State/Local | 4 | 2.4% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 96.97% |
98th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 98.94% |
93rd percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 77.81% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Vanderbilt Law School is $146k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $68k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
After completing their JD program at Vanderbilt Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $215,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $69,107. 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 71.1% of Vanderbilt Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 11.4% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 6.0% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 94.6% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.
For JD graduates from Vanderbilt Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 96.97%. Within two years, 98.94% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +19.2% 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
This school reports no conditional scholarships.
Admissions Contact
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Read moreAbout Vanderbilt Law School admissions
Vanderbilt Law School , commonly known as Vandy, is a prestigious JD program located in Nashville, Tennessee. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, Vanderbilt Law School was ranked 14 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2024 ABA 509 Report, Vanderbilt Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 160 with an acceptance rate of 18.45%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
About Vanderbilt Law School Admissions
Based on the 2024 ABA 509 Report, 4808 candidates submitted JD applications to Vanderbilt Law School and 887 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 18.45%.
The JD program at Vanderbilt Law School enrolls a first-year class of 160 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 17.7%. This means that of the 887 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 157 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 Vanderbilt 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 Vanderbilt Law School?
The above statistics show that Vanderbilt Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 163 (25th percentile) to 170 (75th percentile), with a median of 169.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.66 to 3.94, with a median of 3.89.
With an acceptance rate of 18.45%, Vanderbilt 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).