The University of North Dakota School of Law was established in 1899 as the first law school in the Dakotas and is the oldest law school in continuous operation west of the Mississippi River. It was initially located at what is now known as Old Main, which was a part of the original campus at UND. In 1916, it moved to its current location on Centennial Drive and has since grown to become one of the most respected legal institutions in the Midwest. The School of Law offers a variety of programs, including a Juris Doctor (JD) degree program, an LLM program for foreign-educated lawyers, and specialized programs such as a JD/MBA dual degree program. In addition, UND Law also offers several joint degree programs with other universities, allowing students to pursue two degrees simultaneously. As an institution, UND Law has long been committed to providing its students with an education that emphasizes both academic excellence and practical skills training. The faculty is composed of experienced attorneys who are dedicated to helping students develop their legal skills and knowledge while preparing them for successful careers after graduation.
University of North Dakota School of Law is located in the state of North Dakota. As one of the leading law programs, University of North Dakota School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 149-155 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $48,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of University of North Dakota School of Law.
Admissions: University of North Dakota
The University of North Dakota School of Law is one of the top-ranked law schools in the nation. It has a student body of over 400 students and is accredited by the American Bar Association. The school offers a Juris Doctor degree, as well as several joint degrees and dual degree programs. The average GPA for incoming students is 3.53 and the median LSAT score is 159. The school also offers an accelerated program with classes that can be completed in two years, and a part-time program for students who are unable to commit to full-time study. Additionally, the school’s admissions process is highly competitive; applicants must demonstrate academic excellence, leadership qualities, professional experience, and commitment to public service in order to be accepted into the program. The admissions office takes into account an applicant’s entire profile when considering their application for admission.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
534
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
187
Overall acceptance rate
35.0%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
86
Number of full-time program applicants
534
Number of full-time program acceptances
187
Full-time acceptance rate
35.0%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
86
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
3.3-3.73
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
149-155
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.3-3.73
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
149-155
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 North Dakota
Bar Statistics (Winter and Summer 2018 administrations)
State where the greatest number of first-time test takers took the bar
ND
School’s bar passage rate for first-time test takers
91.5%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
85.5%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
85
Graduates employed at graduation
N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
90.1%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$36,000
Median private sector starting salary
$48,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$71,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
30%
Median public service starting salary
$47,100
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
1.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
17.0%
Percent employed in government
10.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
22.0%
Percent employed in law firms
44.0%
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
1.0%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
64%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
0%
Number of states where graduates are employed
14
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
1.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
0.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
3.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
77.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
3.0%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
3.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
4.0%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
0.0%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
9.0%
Employment location unknown
0.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
Career Services provides career development services and advice to law students and UND Law alumni whether they are entering the job market or changing career direction; Assists employers who are seeking law clerks or associates; Maintains an online job board which contains student jobs and internships, as well as full/part time attorney openings; Provides student loan debt management counseling.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
94.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
3.0%
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)
1.5%
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)
