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Yale Law School (YLS)
Track decisions and applicant data for the 2023-2024 cycle — 1194 applicants reporting.
23-24 · selected
22-23 · previous
ABA 509 (2023): 4,412 apps · 246 offers · 201 enrolled · 5.58% acceptance rate
Detailed Breakdown
Accepted · 82 total (incl. 2 from waitlist) · 46.3% yield
Waitlist · 102 total · 2% accepted off WL
Admissions Data
| LSAT & GPA Statistics | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| 25th | 50th | 75th | |
|
LSAT
(ABA · 2023)
100th percentile
|
172 | 175 | 177 |
| LSAT (LSD) | 169 | 172 | 175 |
|
GPA
(ABA · 2023)
99th percentile
|
3.89 | 3.96 | 4.00 |
| GPA (LSD) | 3.78 | 3.9 | 3.99 |
| Average Statistics by Decision (LSD) | |||
|---|---|---|---|
| Metric | Rejected | All | Accepted |
| LSAT | 171.05 | 171.53 | 174.63 |
| GPA | 3.83 | 3.84 | 3.95 |
| Softs | T3.19 | T3.13 | T2.84 |
| Avg $ | - | - | $180,134 |
| Admissions Metrics (ABA 509) | |
|---|---|
| Metric | Value |
| Applications |
4412
89th percentile
|
| Admission Offers | 246 |
| Class Size |
201
64th percentile
|
| Acceptance Rate |
5.58%
100th percentile
|
| Yield Rate |
72.76%
99th percentile
|
| Application Process Statistics | |
|---|---|
| Avg Days: Sent to Decision | 71 days |
| Avg Days: UR to Decision | 109 days |
| Interview Invite Rate | 15.9% |
| Interview → Acceptance Rate | 31.1% |
Decision Timing
Selected Cycle (2023-2024) decisions (solid) vs. 624 decisions from Previous Cycle (2022-2023) (faded). Click the previous cycle in the legend to toggle.
Where Is Yale 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
10.3% of employed graduates are in school-funded positions, which may temporarily inflate employment rates.
Employment outcomes data from ABA 509 disclosures is shown below.
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 ★ 174 (77.7% of class)
JD Advantage 9 (4.0% of class)
Professional 2 (0.9% of class)
Other 0 (0.0% of class)
School-Funded 23 (10.3% 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 ★ | 171 | 3 | — | — | 174 | 77.7% |
| JD Advantage | 9 | 0 | — | — | 9 | 4.0% |
| Professional | — | — | — | — | 2 | 0.9% |
| Other | — | — | — | — | 0 | 0.0% |
| School-Funded | 16 | 7 | — | — | 23 | 10.3% |
| Total Employed | 196 | 10 | 0 | 0 | 208 | 92.9% |
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 | 37.5% |
14th percentile
|
| Judicial Clerkships | 26.3% |
95th percentile
|
| Government | 7.1% |
18th percentile
|
| Public Interest | 17.0% |
95th percentile
|
| Business | 1.3% |
3rd percentile
|
| Academia | 3.6% |
94th percentile
|
Clerkships by Type
| Type | Graduates | % of Class | National Rank |
|---|---|---|---|
| Federal | 54 | 24.1% |
100th percentile
|
| State/Local | 5 | 2.2% | — |
Federal clerkships enhance careers in litigation and academia.
Bar Exam Performance
| Metric | Rate | Percentile |
|---|---|---|
| First-Time Pass | 95.77% |
99th percentile
|
| Ultimate Pass | 98.96% |
91st percentile
|
| Jurisdiction Weighted | 78.4% | — |
Salary Outcomes
Private Sector
Public Sector
Career Outcomes Summary
Law school tuition at Yale Law School is $143k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $52k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses).
For JD graduates from Yale Law School, the first-time bar exam pass rate is 95.77%. Within two years, 98.96% of graduates ultimately pass the bar exam. The school's first-time pass rate is +17.4% 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.
Cost of Attendance
Annual Tuition
Annual Fees
Cost of Living
Scholarship & Grant Aid
Students Receiving Grants
Median Grant
Grant Range (25th–75th)
Grant Distribution
Conditional Scholarships
This school reports no conditional scholarships.
Admissions Contact
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Read moreAbout Yale Law School admissions
Yale Law School , commonly known as YLS, is a prestigious JD program located in New Haven, Connecticut. In the competitive 2023 law school rankings, Yale Law School was ranked 1 by US News & World Report, making it a top-tier law school for admissions-focused applicants. According to the 2023 ABA 509 Report, Yale Law School has an entering 1L class size of approximately 201 with an acceptance rate of 5.58%, positioning it among the most selective law schools for JD applicants.
About Yale Law School Admissions
Based on the 2023 ABA 509 Report, 4412 candidates submitted JD applications to Yale Law School and 246 received acceptance letters. The law school application process here is highly competitive for prospective students with an acceptance rate of 5.58%.
The JD program at Yale Law School enrolls a first-year class of 201 law students each year, with an admissions yield rate of 72.76%. This means that of the 246 applicants who received law school acceptance letters, 179 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 Yale 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 Yale Law School?
The above statistics show that Yale Law School typically admits students with LSAT scores ranging from 172 (25th percentile) to 177 (75th percentile), with a median of 175.
For GPA, admitted students typically have undergraduate GPAs ranging from 3.89 to 4.00, with a median of 3.96.
With an acceptance rate of 5.58%, Yale 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).