Northwestern University Law School, founded in 1859, is located on the main campus of Northwestern University in Evanston, Illinois. It is one of the oldest law schools in the country and is consistently ranked as one of the top law schools in the United States. The school was founded with a mission to provide a comprehensive legal education that combined theory with practice. In its early years, Northwestern Law focused on teaching traditional legal subjects such as contracts and torts while also introducing students to more modern areas such as corporate law, international law, and public policy. Over the years, Northwestern Law has continued to expand and develop its curriculum to meet the changing needs of its students and society at large. Today, Northwestern offers over 200 courses that prepare lawyers for a wide variety of legal practice areas. In addition to traditional coursework, students are encouraged to participate in clinical programs and internships that allow them to gain real-world experience while still completing their studies. The faculty at Northwestern Law includes some of the most highly respected legal scholars in their fields who have made significant contributions to legal scholarship both nationally and internationally. The school’s commitment to excellence continues today with its dedication to providing an exceptional educational experience for all its students.
Northwestern University Law School is located in the state of Illinois. As one of the leading law programs, Northwestern University Law School has a high average LSAT score of 166-172 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 Northwestern University Law School.
Admissions: Northwestern University
Northwestern University Law School is one of the most selective law schools in the country, with an acceptance rate of just 15%. The average LSAT score of applicants accepted to Northwestern Law is 162 and the median GPA is 3.7. Moreover, Northwestern Law has a strong commitment to diversity and inclusion, with 48% of enrolled students coming from underrepresented backgrounds. In addition, Northwestern Law boasts a highly-ranked faculty composed of lawyers, judges, and scholars from around the world. The faculty members are dedicated to providing students with an excellent education in both theory and practice. Furthermore, Northwestern Law offers a wide range of experiential learning opportunities that allow students to gain real-world experience while still in school. These include internships, clinical programs, externships, research projects, and more. With its reputation for excellence and commitment to diversity and experiential learning opportunities, Northwestern University Law School is an attractive option for prospective law school students.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
5,205
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
952
Overall acceptance rate
18.3%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
271
Number of full-time program applicants
5,205
Number of full-time program acceptances
952
Full-time acceptance rate
18.3%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
271
Number of part-time program applicants
0
Number of part-time program acceptances
0
Part-time acceptance rate
N/A
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
0
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
3.4-3.81
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
166-172
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.4-3.81
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
166-172
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
0-0
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
N/A
Careers: Northwestern University
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
IL
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
98.3%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
90.8%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
273
Graduates employed at graduation
98.2%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
100.0%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$160,000
Median private sector starting salary
$160,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
74%
Median public service starting salary
$46,500
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
2.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
5.0%
Percent employed in government
2.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
12.0%
Percent employed in law firms
74.0%
Percent employed in public interest
5.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
0.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
9.4%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
41%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
1%
Number of states where graduates are employed
25
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
3.4%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
22.6%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
48.3%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
1.5%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
7.2%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.4%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
3.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
9.8%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
2.3%
Employment location unknown
1.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
The Center for Career Strategy and Advancement assists students in focusing their goals and developing career strategies, and proactively cultivates relationships with potential employers. In 2008, more than 800 national employers recruited our students. Nearly 80 percent of the recruiters were based in regions outside the Midwest.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
96.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
1.0%
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)
