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William and Mary Law School logo

William and Mary Law School

Williamsburg, Virginia

Rank #31 (USNWR 2024)

164
LSAT
3.75
GPA
32.2%
Admit Rate
25th, 50th, 75th lines show admitted class %iles

JD Admissions & Requirements

Data from 2024 admissions cycle

164
LSAT
3.75
GPA
32.2%
Admit Rate

William and Mary Law School is a prestigious JD program located in Williamsburg, Virginia. In the competitive 2024 law school rankings, William and Mary Law School was ranked 31 by US News & World Report, making it a strong option for prospective law students in the current application cycle. For the 2024 admissions cycle, William and Mary Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 158 with an acceptance rate of 32.2%, positioning it among the competitive law schools for JD applicants.

Also known as
WILLIAM AND MARY LAW SCHOOL W&M
Law School Applications
1564
JD application volume in 2024 cycle
JD Acceptance Rate
32.2%
68th percentile
JD Program Size
158
39th percentile
JD Tuition Cost
$121k

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William and Mary Law School Law School Admissions Data & Statistics
2024-2025 Cycle Overview
497 applicants
Accepted
26 / 93
Waitlisted
184
Rejected
23
-
Withdrawn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
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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 2024 admissions cycle at William and Mary Law School, 1564 candidates submitted JD applications and 504 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is selective for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 32.2%.

The JD program at William and Mary Law School enrolls a first-year class of 158 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 31.35%. This means that of the 504 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 158 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 William and Mary 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
1564
52nd percentile
Admission Offers 504
Class Size
158
39th percentile
Acceptance Rate
32.2%
68th percentile
Yield Rate
31.35%
59th percentile
Average Statistics by Decision (LSD)
Metric Rejected All Accepted
LSAT 158.82 164.39 165.84
GPA 3.41 3.63 3.73
Softs T2.89 T3.25 T3.27
Avg Scholarship - - $125,476
* Softs are self-reported ratings (T1-T4) representing non-numeric application factors
LSAT & GPA Statistics (ABA 509)
25th 50th 75th
LSAT
78th percentile
159 164 166
GPA
62nd percentile
3.49 3.75 3.86
LSD User Stats
Metric 25th 50th 75th
LSAT 161.0 (+2.0) 165.0 (+1.0) 168.0 (+2.0)
GPA 3.45 (-0.04) 3.72 (-0.03) 3.87 (+0.01)
* Based on 497 self-reported applications
* Green/Red values show difference from ABA 509 data
Application Process Statistics
Avg Days: Sent to Decision 76 days
Avg Days: UR to Decision 40 days
Interview Invite Rate 5.8%
Interview → Acceptance Rate 44.8%

The above statistics show that William and Mary Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 159 (25th percentile) to 166 (75th percentile), with a median of 164.

For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.49 to 3.86, with a median of 3.75.

With an acceptance rate of 32.2%, William and Mary 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

William and Mary Law School Application Status Data

Application statuses submitted by LSData users

Showing 497 apps

William and Mary Law School Law School Employment Outcomes

Overview

JD Employment Rate

91.8%
62nd percentile

First-Time Bar Pass

92.96%
90th percentile

Median Starting Salary

$185,000
Private Sector
89th percentile

Employment Quality

JD Required

87.1%
72nd percentile

BigLaw Placement

18.2%
76th percentile

Federal Clerkships

3.5%
75th percentile

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 148 1 149 87.6%
JD Advantage 7 0 7 4.1%
Professional 1 0.6%
Other 1 0.6%
School-Funded 0 0 0 0.0%
Total Employed 155 1 0 0 158 92.9%
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 50.6%
46th percentile
Judicial Clerkships 14.1%
80th percentile
Government 14.7%
64th percentile
Public Interest 8.8%
60th percentile
Business 4.1%
24th percentile
Academia 0.6%
31st percentile

Judicial Clerkships

Clerkships by Type

Clerkship Type Graduates % of Class National Rank
Federal 6 3.5%
75th percentile
State/Local 18 10.6%

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

Bar Examination Performance

First-Time Pass Rate
92.96%
90th percentile
Takers: 213
Passed: 198
vs State Avg +15.2%
Ultimate Pass Rate
97.65%
87th percentile
Takers: 170
Passed: 166
Within 2 years
Jurisdiction Weighted
77.73%
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 $185,000
89th percentile
25th Percentile $103,250
91st percentile
Public Sector
Median Salary $70,000
72nd percentile

Career Outcomes Summary

Law school tuition at William and Mary Law School is $121k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $36k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).

After completing their JD program at William and Mary Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $185,000. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $70,000. 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 50.6% of William and Mary Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 14.1% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 8.8% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 91.8% of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation.

For JD graduates from William and Mary Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 92.96%. Within two years, 97.65% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +15.2% 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.

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