Chapman University School of Law was established in 1995, when the university purchased the former Orange County campus of Western State University College of Law. The move was made to provide students with an alternative to the traditional law school experience that was offered at other universities in Southern California.
The school has since grown to become one of the most respected and well-regarded law schools in the nation. Over its 25 years in operation, Chapman University School of Law has earned numerous accolades from various organizations and publications, including being named “Best Value Law School” by preLaw Magazine for three consecutive years. The school is also ranked among the top 100 law schools in the country according to U.S. News & World Report.
In addition to its academic excellence, Chapman University School of Law is also renowned for its commitment to social justice and public service. The school offers a variety of clinics and externships that give students hands-on opportunities to serve their communities while gaining valuable legal experience. The school also houses a number of centers that focus on specific areas such as immigration law, criminal justice reform, and public interest litigation, among others. Through these initiatives, Chapman University School of Law strives to empower individuals while promoting justice and fairness within our legal system.
Chapman University School of Law is located in the state of California. As one of the leading law programs, Chapman University School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 156-159 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $75,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of Chapman University School of Law.
Admissions: Chapman University
Chapman University School of Law is one of the leading law schools in the nation. The school has an impressive admissions rate, with an acceptance rate of 67%. The average GPA for incoming students is 3.5, and the median LSAT score is 158. In addition to high academic standards, Chapman also looks for students who demonstrate leadership and commitment to their community. These qualities are reflected in the personal statements that each student must submit as part of their application. In recent years, Chapman has become increasingly selective in its admissions process and now only admits a small percentage of applicants each year. This demonstrates the university’s commitment to admitting only those who have the highest potential for success.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
2,883
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
891
Overall acceptance rate
30.9%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
181
Number of full-time program applicants
2,615
Number of full-time program acceptances
839
Full-time acceptance rate
32.1%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
178
Number of part-time program applicants
268
Number of part-time program acceptances
52
Part-time acceptance rate
19.4%
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
3
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
3.11-3.56
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
156-159
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.11-3.56
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
156-159
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
2.85-3.82
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
151-160
Careers: Chapman University
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
CA
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
75.4%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
70.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
184
Graduates employed at graduation
91.1%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
96.5%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$60,000
Median private sector starting salary
$75,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$85,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
54%
Median public service starting salary
$66,500
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
19.6%
Percent employed in business and industry
9.2%
Percent employed in government
10.5%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
2.6%
Percent employed in law firms
56.9%
Percent employed in public interest
0.7%
Percent employed in an unknown field
0.7%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
2.0%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
90%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
0%
Number of states where graduates are employed
12
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
0.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
0.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
3.9%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.7%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
0.7%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
92.1%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
2.6%
Employment location unknown
0.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
The Career Services Office provides comprehensive job search skills training and informational sessions as well as on-campus recruitment and job-posting services. Students and graduates have found employment with a wide range of employers, including top-tier law firms and state and federal courts.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
77.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
16.0%
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)
