Lawyers are sometimes portrayed as among the most despised professionals in our society. However, the law has an impact on virtually every part of daily life, and having a legal background opens up an almost limitless choice of opportunities. It’s no wonder, then, that so many people want to get a law degree. In fact, the competition to get into law school has never been fiercer.
To determine the 50 hardest law schools to get into, 24/7 Wall St. created an index based on three measures of selectivity from the American Bar Association: acceptance rate, or the number of offer letters a school sent in fall 2021 as a share of the number of applications; median LSAT score of newly enrolled students in fall 2021; and median undergraduate GPA of newly enrolled students. (We also reviewed the share of students in the class of 2018 who took the bar exam within two years of graduation and passed.)
If you want to get into any of the top 10 law schools, you’d better study. The median LSAT score of new enrollees is at least 170 out of a score of 180, and new enrollees need a median undergrad GPA of at 3.66. (Law schools aren’t the only institutions of higher education with high standards. Consider this list of the hardest college to get into in every state.)
It usually takes aspiring lawyers three years after they’ve earned a bachelor’s degree to finish law school, but it is generally considered to be worth the time and effort (and expense). A legal career path can provide job satisfaction for attorneys defending the rights of the poor and disenfranchised, while legal eagles can earn big money in corporate law. Harvard law school graduates lead the field in salary, with median starting pay of $180,000 a year in the private sector. (Not counting law, these are the highest-paying college majors.)
Law-school graduates are among the most powerful people in society. Twenty-six of our 46 presidents have been lawyers. Of the nine Supreme Court justices, only Amy Coney Barrett did not attend Ivy League law school.
Those Ivy League institutions are well represented on the list, with three of them chalking up acceptance rates of 10% or less. Of the 10 law schools with the lowest acceptance rates, in fact, eight are private (the two public ones are the University of Virginia and the University of Michigan.)
Click here to see the 50 hardest U.S. law schools to get into
Five law schools on this list have a bar-exam passage rate of 99% and above. Note that they are not all Ivy League schools.
50. University of Illinois College of Law
> Acceptance rate: 29.8%
> Applications for fall 2021: 1,926
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.66
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 164 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 95.2%
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49. Northeastern University School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 24.4%
> Applications for fall 2021: 4,103
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.66
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 162 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 94.2%
48. Indiana University Maurer School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 36.1%
> Applications for fall 2021: 1,766
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.77
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 164 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 90.5%
47. Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 33.4%
> Applications for fall 2021: 2,334
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.76
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 163 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 95.7%
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46. James E. Rogers College of Law at the University of Arizona
> Acceptance rate: 24.7%
> Applications for fall 2021: 1,739
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.66
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 163 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 84%
45. Florida International University College of Law
> Acceptance rate: 20.6%
> Applications for fall 2021: 2,364
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.69
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 160 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 98.5%
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44. University of Washington School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 25.6%
> Applications for fall 2021: 3,054
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.67
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 164 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 100%
43. Cardozo School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 30.8%
> Applications for fall 2021: 3,820
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.74
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 164 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97%
42. Ohio State University Moritz College of Law
> Acceptance rate: 32.1%
> Applications for fall 2021: 1,913
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.79
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 163 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 94.9%
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41. University of California-Davis School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 28.3%
> Applications for fall 2021: 3,733
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.70
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 165 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 95.3%
40. William And Mary Law School
> Acceptance rate: 30.1%
> Applications for fall 2021: 2,642
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.78
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 164 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97.8%
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39. Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School
> Acceptance rate: 39.9%
> Applications for fall 2021: 476
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.85
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 167 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 96.7%
38. Boston College Law School
> Acceptance rate: 23.5%
> Applications for fall 2021: 6,368
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.69
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 165 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 95.5%
37. Villanova University’s Charles Widger School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 17.8%
> Applications for fall 2021: 2,972
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.70
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 162 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 94.3%
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36. Antonin Scalia Law School at George Mason University
> Acceptance rate: 27.1%
> Applications for fall 2021: 2,139
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.81
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 164 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 93.1%
35. University of Utah S.J. Quinney College of Law
> Acceptance rate: 25.5%
> Applications for fall 2021: 1,113
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.82
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 163 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 95.8%
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34. Pepperdine University Caruso School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 25%
> Applications for fall 2021: 4,454
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.80
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 164 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 93.2%
33. University of Minnesota Law School
> Acceptance rate: 27.6%
> Applications for fall 2021: 2,655
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.80
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 166 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97.2%
32. Florida State University College of Law
> Acceptance rate: 22.5%
> Applications for fall 2021: 2,372
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.82
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 163 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97%
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31. Emory University School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 27.3%
> Applications for fall 2021: 5,254
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.80
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 167 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 88.7%
30. Fordham University School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 17.7%
> Applications for fall 2021: 7,882
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.70
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 166 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 96.3%
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29. University of North Carolina School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 15.5%
> Applications for fall 2021: 2,866
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.73
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 164 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97.2%
28. University of California-Irvine School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 16.8%
> Applications for fall 2021: 3,600
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.69
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 167 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 92%
27. University of Alabama School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 31%
> Applications for fall 2021: 1,528
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.94
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 165 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 94.7%
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26. Texas A&M University School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 18.4%
> Applications for fall 2021: 3,818
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.84
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 163 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 94.8%
25. George Washington University Law School
> Acceptance rate: 21.6%
> Applications for fall 2021: 10,585
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.83
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 167 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97.2%
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24. University of Georgia School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 18.5%
> Applications for fall 2021: 2,998
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.82
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 166 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 95.2%
23. Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
> Acceptance rate: 20.6%
> Applications for fall 2021: 5,717
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.85
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 166 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 94.6%
22. Notre Dame Law School
> Acceptance rate: 17.5%
> Applications for fall 2021: 3,694
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.77
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 168 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 96%
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21. Boston University School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 18.3%
> Applications for fall 2021: 8,221
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.77
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 169 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 99.6%
20. University of Florida Levin College of Law
> Acceptance rate: 17.4%
> Applications for fall 2021: 3,850
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.86
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 167 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 92.5%
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19. University of Texas at Austin School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 15.2%
> Applications for fall 2021: 7,679
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.80
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 169 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97.1%
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18. University of Southern California Gould School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 13%
> Applications for fall 2021: 6,839
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.82
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 168 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 92.8%
17. University of California-Los Angeles School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 15.4%
> Applications for fall 2021: 7,939
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.82
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 170 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 96.3%
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16. University of California-Berkeley School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 13.7%
> Applications for fall 2021: 7,948
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.83
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 169 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 98.3%
15. Duke University School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 14.4%
> Applications for fall 2021: 7,255
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.82
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 170 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 98.1%
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14. Vanderbilt University Law School
> Acceptance rate: 14.3%
> Applications for fall 2021: 6,884
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.89
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 169 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 98.9%
13. Cornell Law School
> Acceptance rate: 15.4%
> Applications for fall 2021: 5,998
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.86
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 171 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 99.5%
12. Northwestern University Pritzker School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 13.9%
> Applications for fall 2021: 7,410
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.86
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 171 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 92.6%
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11. Georgetown University Law Center
> Acceptance rate: 12.9%
> Applications for fall 2021: 14,049
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.85
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 171 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 95.5%
10. New York University School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 14.5%
> Applications for fall 2021: 10,713
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.86
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 172 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 98.9%
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9. Washington University in St. Louis School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 15.9%
> Applications for fall 2021: 5,958
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.93
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 170 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 95.5%
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8. University of Michigan Law School
> Acceptance rate: 10.6%
> Applications for fall 2021: 7,693
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.84
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 171 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97.3%
7. Columbia Law School
> Acceptance rate: 11.4%
> Applications for fall 2021: 9,612
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.84
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 174 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97.1%
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6. University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School
> Acceptance rate: 9.4%
> Applications for fall 2021: 8,383
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.90
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 171 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 99.2%
5. University of Chicago Law School
> Acceptance rate: 11.9%
> Applications for fall 2021: 6,514
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.91
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 172 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 100%
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4. University of Virginia School of Law
> Acceptance rate: 9.7%
> Applications for fall 2021: 7,047
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.91
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 171 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 99%
3. Stanford Law School
> Acceptance rate: 6.3%
> Applications for fall 2021: 5,685
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.91
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 172 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 98.9%
2. Harvard Law School
> Acceptance rate: 6.9%
> Applications for fall 2021: 9,933
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.92
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 174 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 97.9%
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1. Yale Law School
> Acceptance rate: 4.1%
> Applications for fall 2021: 5,194
> Median undergrad GPA of new enrollees: 3.94
> Median LSAT score of new enrollees: 174 out of 180
> Bar exam passage rate: 99%
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