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Wayne State University Law School logo

Wayne State University Law School

Detroit, Michigan

Rank #56 (USNWR 2023)

162
LSAT
3.83
GPA
35.5%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2023 admissions cycle

162
LSAT
3.83
GPA
35.5%
Admit Rate

Wayne State University Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Detroit, Michigan. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, Wayne State University Law School was ranked 56 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2023 admissions cycle, Wayne State University Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 126 with an acceptance rate of 35.5%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
WAYNE STATE UNIVERSITY
Law School Applications
1058
JD application volume in 2023 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
35.5%
81st percentile
JD Program Size
126
24th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$78k

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

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Wayne State University Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2023-2024 Cycle Overview
129 applicants
Accepted
4 / 26
Waitlisted
15
Rejected
13
-
Withdrawn
27
-

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
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  • 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 2023 admissions cycle at Wayne State University Law School, 1058 candidates submitted JD applications and 290 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 35.5%.

The JD program at Wayne State University Law School enrolls a first-year class of 126 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 43.45%. This means that of the 290 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 126 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 Wayne State University 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
1058
38th percentile
Admission Offers 290
Class Size
126
24th percentile
Acceptance Rate
35.5%
81st percentile
Yield Rate
43.45%
93rd percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 152.08 160.53 164.54
GPA 3.3 3.52 3.61
Softs T3.33 T3.29 T3.22
Avg Scholarship - - $108,229
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
70th percentile
155 162 164
GPA
85th percentile
3.49 3.83 3.93
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 156.0 (+1.0) 161.0 (-1.0) 166.0 (+2.0)
GPA 3.3 (-0.19) 3.58 (-0.25) 3.82 (-0.11)
* Based on 129 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 90 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 65 days
Interview Invite Rate 0.8%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 100.0%

The above statistics show that Wayne State University Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 155 (25th percentile) to 164 (75th percentile), with a median of 162.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.49 to 3.93, with a median of 3.83.

With an acceptance rate of 35.5%, Wayne State University 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

Wayne State University Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 129 apps

Wayne State University Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

92.0%
70th percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

84.07%
67th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$85,000
Private Sector
37th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

79.0%
45th percentile

BigLaw Placement

1.0%
11th percentile

Federal Clerkships

1.0%
37th percentile

School-Funded Positions

1.0%

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 79 0 79 79.0%
JD Advantage 13 0 13 13.0%
Professional 0 0.0%
Other 0 0.0%
School-Funded 0 1 1 1.0%
Total Employed 92 1 0 0 93 93.0%
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 56.0%
64th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 8.0%
55th percentile
Government 9.0%
30th percentile
Public Interest 9.0%
57th percentile
Business 2.0%
6th percentile
Academia 9.0%
100th percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 1 1.0%
37th percentile
State/Local 7 7.0%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
84.07%
67th percentile
Takers: 113
Passed: 95
vs State Avg +9.4%
Ultimate Pass Rate
95.62%
72nd percentile
Takers: 137
Passed: 131
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
74.64%
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 $85,000
37th percentile
25th Percentile $75,000
51st percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $57,450
7th percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at Wayne State University Law School is $78k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $48k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at Wayne State University Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $85,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $57,450. 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 56.0% of Wayne State University Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 8.0% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 9.0% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 92.0% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from Wayne State University Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 84.07%. Within two years, 95.62% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +9.4% 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 lawyer is a person who writes a 10,000-word document and calls it a 'brief'.

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