American University Washington College of Law

By | January 5, 2023

American University Washington College of Law is located in Washington DC. As one of the leading law programs, American University Washington College of Law has a high average LSAT score of 158-164 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $160,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of American University Washington College of Law.

The American University Washington College of Law was founded in 1896 as the culmination of the pioneering efforts of two women, Ellen Spencer Mussey and Emma Gillett, who wished to open field of law to women. Their efforts yielded the Washington College of Law, the first law school in the world to be founded by women, the first to have a female dean, and the first to generate an all-female law class. Check andyeducation.com for primary schools, secondary schools and higher education in Wisconsin.

American University Washington College of Law

Today, WCL enrolls 1,646 students, both male and female. Of the enrollment figures, 60 percent are female, WCL ranks 9th in racial diversity among top law schools, and all U.S. states and over 60 foreign countries are represented. WCL in nationally renowned for its international law and clinical programs. WCL participates in several popular study abroad and student exchange programs with universities around the world, including a semester-long program with the School of Law at City University of Hong Kong. WCL’s student magazine is The American Jurist, which has won the “Best Law Student Magazine” award from the American Bar Association on more than one occasion.

WCL is ranked as one of the top 50 Law Schools in the United States by U.S. News & World Report’s college and university rankings. It is located on Massachusetts Avenue in the Spring Valley area of Northwest Washington, DC.

WCL offers the J.D. (Juris Doctor), LL.M. (Master of Laws), and S.J.D. (Doctor of Juridical Science) degrees. Additionally, students can enroll in one of several dual degree programs offered at WCL, including a J.D./M.A. program with the School of International Service and a J.D./M.B.A. program with the Kogod School of Business.

American University is abbreviated for AU: https://www.abbreviationfinder.org/acronyms/au_american-university.html

Admissions: American University (Washington)

American University Washington College of Law (AUWCL) is an accredited law school located in Washington, D.C. The school was founded in 1896 and has a long history of producing successful attorneys and leaders in the legal field. The college offers both full-time and part-time programs for JD (Juris Doctor) degrees, as well as specialized LLM (Master of Laws) programs. AUWCL also offers dual degree programs with other schools within American University.

For the 2021 incoming class, AUWCL accepted over 1,000 students from a total applicant pool of 5,800. This represents an acceptance rate of 17%, making it one of the most competitive law schools in the nation. The median LSAT score for incoming students was 162, and the median GPA was 3.56. While these statistics reflect that admission to AUWCL is difficult to obtain, there are still many opportunities for applicants who demonstrate strong academic performance and personal characteristics that make them stand out from other applicants. AUWCL takes into account each applicant’s personal background and experiences when considering them for admission to ensure a diverse student body with varied perspectives on legal issues. Additionally, AUWCL offers scholarships to help students cover tuition costs and encourages students to pursue internships during their time at the school to gain practical experience in the field of law.

Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants 8,667
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances 1,931
Overall acceptance rate 22.3%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled 481
Number of full-time program applicants 7,649
Number of full-time program acceptances 1,715
Full-time acceptance rate 22.4%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled 385
Number of part-time program applicants 1,018
Number of part-time program acceptances 216
Part-time acceptance rate 21.2%
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled 96
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students 3.13-3.56
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students 158-164
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students 3.14-3.59
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students 158-164
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students 3.06-3.52
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students 159-162

Careers: American University (Washington)

Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar NY
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers 92.0%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers 80.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates 471
Graduates employed at graduation 86.6%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 95.5%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary $120,000
Median private sector starting salary $160,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary $160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information 71%
Median public service starting salary $52,000
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia 1.0%
Percent employed in business and industry 12.0%
Percent employed in government 14.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 12.5%
Percent employed in law firms 47.5%
Percent employed in public interest 12.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field 1.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge 2.0%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state 44%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 1%
Number of states where graduates are employed 31
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 2.2%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 15.3%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.8%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.8%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 67.4%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.9%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.7%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 2.6%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 1.8%
Employment location unknown 6.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations The Office of Career & Professional Development provides career counseling, sponsors programs, and maintains on-line and hardcopy resources. Seven career counselors have JDs and prior experience in private practice, public interest, international, government, and judicial clerkships. The office organizes several recruitment programs for students seeking summer and post-graduate positions.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 83.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 12.0%
Professional/other (jobs that require professional skills or training but for which a J.D. is neither preferred nor particularly applicable; e.g., accountant, teacher, business manager, nurse) 3.0%
Nonprofessional/other (job that does not require any professional skills or training or is taken on a temporary basis and not viewed as part of a career path) 2.0%