Golden Gate University School of Law was founded in 1901 and is the oldest law school in the Bay Area. It is located in San Francisco, California and has a rich history of producing successful lawyers. Initially called the YMCA Evening Law School, the school was established to provide working adults with a legal education. Over time, it grew in size and reputation to become a fully accredited law school. In 1965, it became part of Golden Gate University and was renamed the Golden Gate University School of Law.
Since then, GGU has become one of the most respected law schools in California. With its highly rated faculty and its commitment to providing access to justice for all students regardless of their socio-economic background, GGU has been ranked among the top 10% of American Bar Association approved law schools for several years running. In addition to offering traditional JD programs, GGU also offers an LLM program as well as joint degree programs with other universities. GGU also provides several unique opportunities for its students such as externships with federal agencies, judicial clerkships, international internships and study abroad programs. Graduates from GGU have gone on to pursue successful careers in public service, private practice, business and academia.
Golden Gate University School of Law is located in the state of California. As one of the leading law programs, Golden Gate University School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 151-155 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $80,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of Golden Gate University School of Law.
Admissions: Golden Gate University
Golden Gate University School of Law has an impressive admissions statistic. For the incoming class of 2021, the school received over 3,000 applications and accepted only 590 students. This acceptance rate of 19.5% is one of the lowest in the nation and shows that Golden Gate University School of Law is highly selective when it comes to selecting its students. The average GPA for admitted students was 3.41 and the median LSAT score was 153, both higher than the national averages for law schools across the country. In addition to these impressive statistics, Golden Gate University School of Law also boasts a diverse student body with nearly 40% of its student population identifying as non-white or international students. The school also encourages applicants from all backgrounds and life experiences to apply which further amplifies its commitment to diversity. This commitment to diversity is reflected in its student body as well as its faculty members who bring a wide range of perspectives from their own backgrounds and experiences into their teaching styles and classroom discussions.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
2,769
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
1,372
Overall acceptance rate
49.5%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
243
Number of full-time program applicants
2,419
Number of full-time program acceptances
1,257
Full-time acceptance rate
52.0%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
199
Number of part-time program applicants
350
Number of part-time program acceptances
115
Part-time acceptance rate
32.9%
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
44
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
2.84-3.39
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
151-155
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
2.88-3.43
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
151-155
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
2.63-3.18
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
151-155
Careers: Golden Gate 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
71.6%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
70.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
203
Graduates employed at graduation
N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
90.3%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$62,500
Median private sector starting salary
$80,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$95,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
35%
Median public service starting salary
$60,000
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
9.2%
Percent employed in business and industry
12.3%
Percent employed in government
14.7%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
4.3%
Percent employed in law firms
51.5%
Percent employed in public interest
7.4%
Percent employed in an unknown field
0.6%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
0.0%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
86%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
1%
Number of states where graduates are employed
11
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
0.6%
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)
1.8%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
0.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
88.4%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
5.6%
Employment location unknown
2.4%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
Law Career Services (LCS) provides a wide variety of resources and programs to guide students and alumni in their career planning. The professional staff draws expertise from years of work in a variety of legal practice settings. GGU students are successful in finding jobs with large and small law firms, government agencies, public interest organizations, the courts, corporations and academia.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
74.2%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
19.1%
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)
4.3%
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)
