University of California Hastings College of the Law was established in 1878 as the first law school in the University of California system. It is one of the oldest continuously operating law schools in the western United States. The school is located in San Francisco and offers a variety of degree programs including J.D., LL.M, and M.S.L programs as well as dual-degree programs with other UC campuses. The faculty at UC Hastings is comprised of highly respected scholars and practitioners from around the world, making it one of the most diverse law schools in the nation.
UC Hastings has a long history of producing influential alumni that have shaped legal practice and education across America, including Supreme Court Justice Stephen Reinhardt, Chief Justice Ronald George, U.S Attorney General Edwin Meese III, and many more prominent lawyers and judges from around the country. The school also prides itself on its commitment to public service through extensive clinical programs such as its Civil Justice Clinic, Criminal Practice Clinic, International Human Rights Clinic, Intellectual Property Law Clinic, Tax Law Clinic and many more opportunities for students to gain hands-on experience while assisting clients with real legal problems under faculty supervision. In addition to its clinical programs, UC Hastings also offers numerous externships throughout San Francisco Bay Area where students can gain practical experience while earning course credit towards their degree program.
University of California Hastings College of the Law is located in the state of California. As one of the leading law programs, University of California Hastings College of the Law has a high average LSAT score of 161-165 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 University of California Hastings College of the Law.
Admissions: University of California (Hastings)
University of California Hastings College of the Law is one of the top public law schools in the United States. The school has a long history of producing successful lawyers and leaders in the legal community. For the 2019-2020 academic year, UC Hastings had an overall acceptance rate of 34%. This rate was slightly higher than the national average for law schools that year, which was 33%. Out of 4,983 applications received, 1,682 students were accepted. Of those accepted students, 1,175 enrolled for the fall semester. The incoming class had an average GPA of 3.5 and an average LSAT score of 158. Additionally, 56% of incoming students were female and 44% were male. 40% were from underrepresented minority groups and 60% were from traditionally represented groups.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
6,150
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
1,454
Overall acceptance rate
23.6%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
469
Number of full-time program applicants
6,150
Number of full-time program acceptances
1,454
Full-time acceptance rate
23.6%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
469
Number of part-time program applicants
N/A
Number of part-time program acceptances
N/A
Part-time acceptance rate
N/A
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
N/A
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
3.39-3.71
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
161-165
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.39-3.71
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
161-165
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
N/A
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
N/A
Careers: University of California (Hastings)
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
80.4%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
70.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
397
Graduates employed at graduation
69.8%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
92.7%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$85,000
Median private sector starting salary
$160,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$160,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
72%
Median public service starting salary
$56
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
7.8%
Percent employed in business and industry
8.4%
Percent employed in government
8.7%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
6.0%
Percent employed in law firms
63.1%
Percent employed in public interest
6.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
0.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
3.9%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
87%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
0.3%
Number of states where graduates are employed
19
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
0.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
1.8%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
0.8%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.3%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
1.8%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.3%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
1.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
89.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
2.7%
Employment location unknown
2.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
The Career Services office serves students of all backgrounds and interests with a wide range of programs, including career fairs and employer table talks, a large on campus interview program, workshops, panels and brown bags. Our counseling staff includes JDs from all different practice backgrounds as well as a staff member with a Masters in Career Counseling.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
83.2%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
12.3%
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)
3.6%
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)
