Acceptance rate: every U.S. law school, ranked

Across the 196 ABA-accredited U.S. law schools that report acceptance rate, the median is 35.8%. Values span from 66.8% at University of Idaho School of Law to 4.1% at Yale Law School, drawn from the most recent ABA Standard 509 disclosure cycle (trend data 2017–2025).

Schools reporting 196
Median 35.8%
25th–75th 24.35% – 50.75%
Range 4.1% – 66.8%

Distribution across 196 schools · median marked

Definition

What it is: Share of applicants offered admission (offers ÷ applications) to the full-time JD program.
Reported by: The American Bar Association, in each school’s annual Standard 509 Required Disclosure.
Unit: Percent

How to read it

A low acceptance rate reflects applicant volume and yield strategy as much as selectivity; pair it with the median LSAT to judge real difficulty.

Every school, ranked

#	Law school	State	Acceptance rate
1	Yale Law School	Connecticut	4.1%
2	Stanford Law School	California	6.1%
3	University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School	Pennsylvania	8.1%
4	Boston College School of Law	Massachusetts	8.5%
5	University of Michigan Law School	Michigan	8.6%
6	Harvard Law School	Massachusetts	9.2%
7	University of Chicago Law School	Illinois	9.7%
8	University of Virginia School of Law	Virginia	10.2%
9	University of Southern California School of Law	California	11.2%
10	University of North Carolina School of Law	North Carolina	11.2%
11	Columbia Law School	New York	11.8%
12	UCLA School of Law	California	12.1%
13	Boston University School of Law	Massachusetts	12.1%
14	Texas A&M University School of Law	Texas	12.1%
15	Northwestern Pritzker School of Law	Illinois	12.3%
16	University of Georgia School of Law	Georgia	12.7%
17	Duke University School of Law	North Carolina	12.9%
18	Vanderbilt Law School	Tennessee	13.3%
19	New York University School of Law	New York	13.4%
20	University of Texas School of Law	Texas	14%
21	UC Berkeley School of Law	California	14.8%
22	University of California-Irvine School of Law	California	14.9%
23	Georgetown University Law Center	District of Columbia	15.8%
24	George Mason University School of Law	Virginia	15.9%
25	Florida State University School of Law	Florida	16%
26	University of Notre Dame School of Law	Indiana	16.1%
27	Fordham University School of Law	New York	16.2%
28	University of Florida School of Law	Florida	16.5%
29	Cornell Law School	New York	18.2%
30	Florida International University School of Law	Florida	18.8%
31	Washington University (St. Louis) School of Law	Missouri	19%
32	University of Wisconsin School of Law	Wisconsin	19.1%
33	University of Washington School of Law	Washington	19.6%
34	Arizona State University School of Law	Arizona	19.8%
35	University of Connecticut School of Law	Connecticut	20.1%
36	Chapman University School of Law	California	20.5%
37	Baylor University School of Law	Texas	20.6%
38	University of California-Davis School of Law	California	21.1%
39	William & Mary School of Law	Virginia	22%
40	Marquette University School of Law	Wisconsin	22.1%
41	Washington and Lee University School of Law	Virginia	22.7%
42	Brigham Young University School of Law	Utah	22.8%
43	University of Houston School of Law	Texas	23%
44	St. John's University School of Law	New York	23.1%
45	Pepperdine University School of Law	California	23.4%
46	University of San Diego School of Law	California	23.5%
47	Howard University School of Law	District of Columbia	24.1%
48	Northeastern University School of Law	Massachusetts	24.2%
49	University of North Texas at Dallas School of Law	Texas	24.2%
50	Temple University School of Law	Pennsylvania	24.4%
51	The Ohio State University School of Law	Ohio	24.6%
52	Southern Methodist University School of Law	Texas	24.6%
53	Wake Forest University School of Law	North Carolina	24.6%
54	University of Miami School of Law	Florida	24.6%
55	University of Tennessee School of Law	Tennessee	24.8%
56	Wayne State University School of Law	Michigan	24.8%
57	University of Utah School of Law	Utah	25.3%
58	University of Alabama School of Law	Alabama	25.6%
59	Texas Tech University School of Law	Texas	25.6%
60	Villanova University School of Law	Pennsylvania	25.9%
61	Michigan State University School of Law	Michigan	26%
62	St. Mary's University School of Law	Texas	26%
63	University of Maryland School of Law	Maryland	26.1%
64	Loyola Marymount University-Los Angeles School of Law	California	26.1%
65	University of Hawaii School of Law	Hawaii	26.2%
66	University of Arkansas School of Law	Arkansas	26.6%
67	University of Minnesota School of Law	Minnesota	26.7%
68	The George Washington University School of Law	District of Columbia	27.2%
69	University of California-San Francisco School of Law	California	27.5%
70	University of Colorado School of Law	Colorado	27.6%
71	University of Arizona School of Law	Arizona	27.9%
72	Loyola University-Chicago School of Law	Illinois	28.2%
73	City University of New York School of Law	New York	28.6%
74	Cardozo, Yeshiva University School of Law	New York	29.6%
75	Drexel University School of Law	Pennsylvania	29.6%
76	University of South Carolina School of Law	South Carolina	29.9%
77	Georgia State University School of Law	Georgia	30.6%
78	University of Dayton School of Law	Ohio	30.7%
79	University of Nevada-Las Vegas School of Law	Nevada	30.8%
80	Ohio Northern University School of Law	Ohio	32%
81	The Catholic University of America School of Law	District of Columbia	32.4%
82	Atlanta's John Marshall Law School	Georgia	32.6%
83	University of Cincinnati School of Law	Ohio	32.7%
84	University of Illinois School of Law	Illinois	32.9%
85	Texas Southern University School of Law	Texas	33.1%
86	American University School of Law	District of Columbia	33.3%
87	University of Oklahoma School of Law	Oklahoma	33.4%
88	Rutgers University School of Law	New Jersey	33.5%
89	South Texas College of Law Houston	Texas	33.6%
90	Seton Hall University School of Law	New Jersey	34.3%
91	Cleveland State University School of Law	Ohio	34.5%
92	Syracuse University School of Law	New York	34.6%
93	Florida A&M University School of Law	Florida	34.7%
94	Case Western Reserve University School of Law	Ohio	34.8%
95	DePaul University School of Law	Illinois	34.8%
96	University of Pittsburgh School of Law	Pennsylvania	34.9%
97	Jacksonville University School of Law	Florida	35.1%
98	Indiana University-Bloomington School of Law	Indiana	35.8%
99	University of Wyoming School of Law	Wyoming	35.8%
100	Stetson University School of Law	Florida	36.4%
101	Southwestern Law School	California	36.5%
102	University of District of Columbia School of Law	District of Columbia	37%
103	University of Maine School of Law	Maine	37.3%
104	Albany Law School	New York	37.5%
105	Belmont University School of Law	Tennessee	37.6%
106	Mercer University School of Law	Georgia	37.8%
107	Louisiana State University School of Law	Louisiana	38.5%
108	Chicago-Kent, Illinois Institute of Technology School of Law	Illinois	38.6%
109	Emory University School of Law	Georgia	38.7%
110	Seattle University School of Law	Washington	38.9%
111	University of Kansas School of Law	Kansas	39.1%
112	North Carolina Central University School of Law	North Carolina	39.1%
113	University of Richmond School of Law	Virginia	39.6%
114	New York Law School	New York	39.7%
115	University of Puerto Rico School of Law	Puerto Rico	39.7%
116	Tulane University School of Law	Louisiana	40%
117	University of Nebraska School of Law	Nebraska	40.1%
118	West Virginia University School of Law	West Virginia	40.3%
119	Hofstra University School of Law	New York	40.6%
120	University of Kentucky School of Law	Kentucky	40.8%
121	University of Memphis School of Law	Tennessee	41.1%
122	University of Denver School of Law	Colorado	41.3%
123	University of New Mexico School of Law	New Mexico	41.4%
124	University of Detroit Mercy School of Law	Michigan	41.4%
125	University of Missouri School of Law	Missouri	42%
126	University of Mississippi School of Law	Mississippi	42%
127	University at Buffalo School of Law	New York	42.4%
128	University of San Francisco School of Law	California	42.4%
129	Penn State Dickinson Law	Pennsylvania	43%
130	Quinnipiac University School of Law	Connecticut	43.1%
131	Duquesne University School of Law	Pennsylvania	43.2%
132	Western State, Westcliff University School of Law	California	43.7%
133	Brooklyn Law School	New York	44%
134	Pace University School of Law	New York	44.1%
135	Regent University School of Law	Virginia	44.3%
136	Northern Illinois University School of Law	Illinois	44.3%
137	University of Iowa School of Law	Iowa	44.4%
138	Touro University School of Law	New York	45.6%
139	University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law	Missouri	45.9%
140	Washburn University School of Law	Kansas	46.5%
141	California Western School of Law	California	46.9%
142	Ave Maria School of Law	Florida	47%
143	Nova Southeastern University School of Law	Florida	47.3%
144	Samford University School of Law	Alabama	49%
145	University of Baltimore School of Law	Maryland	49.5%
146	Charleston School of Law	South Carolina	50.2%
147	Campbell University School of Law	North Carolina	50.7%
148	Loyola University-New Orleans School of Law	Louisiana	50.9%
149	Inter American University of Puerto Rico School of Law	Puerto Rico	50.9%
150	Gonzaga University School of Law	Washington	51.1%
151	University of Montana School of Law	Montana	51.4%
152	Mitchell/Hamline School of Law	Minnesota	51.4%
153	Oklahoma City University School of Law	Oklahoma	51.6%
154	Western New England University School of Law	Massachusetts	51.9%
155	University of New Hampshire School of Law	New Hampshire	52%
156	Wilmington University School of Law	Delaware	52%
157	Lincoln Memorial University School of Law	Tennessee	52.2%
158	University of Massachusetts/Dartmouth School of Law	Massachusetts	52.2%
159	University of Toledo School of Law	Ohio	52.5%
160	Santa Clara University School of Law	California	52.6%
161	University of Illinois-Chicago School of Law	Illinois	52.6%
162	Cooley Law School	Michigan	52.9%
163	Elon University School of Law	North Carolina	53.2%
164	Faulkner University School of Law	Alabama	53.9%
165	University of the Pacific School of Law	California	54.4%
166	Lewis & Clark Law School	Oregon	54.7%
167	Drake University School of Law	Iowa	54.8%
168	University of Arkansas at Little Rock School of Law	Arkansas	54.9%
169	University of Oregon School of Law	Oregon	55%
170	Indiana University-Indianapolis School of Law	Indiana	55.9%
171	Barry University School of Law	Florida	55.9%
172	Southern Illinois University School of Law	Illinois	56.2%
173	Saint Louis University School of Law	Missouri	56.4%
174	Southern University School of Law	Louisiana	56.5%
175	University of Tulsa School of Law	Oklahoma	56.6%
176	University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) School of Law	Minnesota	57.6%
177	University of Akron School of Law	Ohio	58.5%
178	Vermont Law School	Vermont	58.5%
179	Northern Kentucky University School of Law	Kentucky	58.7%
180	Liberty University School of Law	Virginia	58.8%
181	Widener University Delaware Law School	Pennsylvania	59.7%
182	Mississippi College School of Law	Mississippi	59.8%
183	St. Thomas University (Miami) School of Law	Florida	60.2%
184	Widener University Commonwealth Law School	Pennsylvania	60.4%
185	Appalachian School of Law	Virginia	60.9%
186	New England Law/Boston	Massachusetts	61.3%
187	Roger Williams University School of Law	Rhode Island	61.3%
188	Willamette University School of Law	Oregon	61.4%
189	Pontifical Catholic University of Puerto Rico School of Law	Puerto Rico	61.5%
190	Suffolk University School of Law	Massachusetts	61.9%
191	University of South Dakota School of Law	South Dakota	62.5%
192	University of North Dakota School of Law	North Dakota	63.1%
193	University of Louisville School of Law	Kentucky	63.4%
194	Creighton University School of Law	Nebraska	64.5%
195	Capital University Law School	Ohio	65.9%
196	University of Idaho School of Law	Idaho	66.8%

At the extremes

Top: Yale Law School (4.1%) · Stanford Law School (6.1%) · University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School (8.1%) · Boston College School of Law (8.5%) · University of Michigan Law School (8.6%)

Bottom: University of North Dakota School of Law (63.1%) · University of Louisville School of Law (63.4%) · Creighton University School of Law (64.5%) · Capital University Law School (65.9%) · University of Idaho School of Law (66.8%)

FAQ

What is acceptance rate?

Share of applicants offered admission (offers ÷ applications) to the full-time JD program.

What is the median acceptance rate across U.S. law schools?

35.8%, across the 196 ABA-accredited schools that report it in the most recent ABA Standard 509 cycle.

Which law school has the lowest acceptance rate?

Yale Law School, at 4.1%.

What counts as a strong acceptance rate?

Lower is better — the most favorable tenth sits at or below 14.4%, against a median of 35.8%.

How should I read acceptance rate?