University of California–Los Angeles School of Law

By | January 6, 2023

UCLA School of Law was established in 1949, making it the youngest major law school in the nation. It was founded on the principle of providing a quality legal education to students from diverse backgrounds. Over the years, UCLA Law has grown to become one of the most prestigious and highly ranked law schools in the country. It is ranked among the top 10 law schools by U.S. News & World Report, and is consistently listed as one of the best values in legal education.

UCLA Law has a long-standing commitment to public service and social justice, which is reflected in its extensive clinical program and various public interest initiatives. The school also encourages students to pursue interdisciplinary studies that combine law with other disciplines such as economics, business, political science and sociology. The faculty at UCLA Law is composed of some of the most distinguished scholars in their fields who bring a wealth of experience and expertise to their teaching and research activities. UCLA Law also boasts an impressive alumni network that includes prominent judges, attorneys, politicians, academics, entrepreneurs and other leaders in their respective fields.

University of California--Los Angeles School of Law

University of California–Los Angeles School of Law is located in the state of California. As one of the leading law programs, University of California–Los Angeles School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 164-169 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–Los Angeles School of Law.

Admissions: University of California–Los Angeles

The University of California–Los Angeles School of Law is a highly competitive school, with an admittance rate of just 21.8%. For the 2021 admissions cycle, the school received 8,266 applications and accepted 1,802 applicants. Of those accepted, 645 were admitted through early decision and 1,157 were admitted through regular decision. The average GPA for accepted applicants was 3.6 and the median LSAT score was 168. Additionally, the school has a holistic approach to admissions, meaning that they look at each application holistically in order to make decisions on who to accept into the program. The UCLA School of Law also places a strong emphasis on diversity and inclusion among its student body; 41% of its students are from underrepresented minority groups while 32% are international students. In addition to these statistics, UCLA Law also offers numerous merit-based scholarships which can help reduce financial burdens for students who qualify for them.

Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants 8,225
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances 1,383
Overall acceptance rate 16.8%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled 320
Number of full-time program applicants 8,225
Number of full-time program acceptances 1,383
Full-time acceptance rate 16.8%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled 320
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 3.57-3.88
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students 164-169
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students 3.57-3.88
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students 164-169
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–Los Angeles

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 88.5%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers 70.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates 337
Graduates employed at graduation 96.9%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation 99.1%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary $145,000
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 $59,800
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia 1.9%
Percent employed in business and industry 6.8%
Percent employed in government 7.7%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships 10.5%
Percent employed in law firms 63.8%
Percent employed in public interest 8.7%
Percent employed in an unknown field 0.6%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge 7.1%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state 87%
Graduates employed in foreign countries 0.3%
Number of states where graduates are employed 16
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT) 0.3%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA) 3.7%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI) 1.6%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD) 0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV) 2.8%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN) 0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX) 0.3%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA) 89.5%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY) 1.2%
Employment location unknown 0.3%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations The Office of Career Services provides students with the tools and strategies necessary to make informed decisions about the myriad of employment opportunities and career paths available to them, including: On Campus Interview Program, Public Interest Career Day, Government Reception, Judicial Clerkship Program, Small/Mid Sized Law Firm Reception, Diversity Reception and Externship Program.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks) 91.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent) 5.0%
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) 2.0%
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%