The University of San Diego School of Law was founded in 1954, making it one of the oldest law schools in the city. Initially, the school was housed in the basement of St. Thomas Aquinas Church and offered a three-year night program to 24 students. In 1958, USD School of Law moved to its current location on Linda Vista Road and began offering a four-year day program as well. Over the years, the school has grown to become one of the top law schools in California and is currently ranked #50 by U.S News & World Report.
In 1973, USD School of Law developed a full-time legal clinic that allowed students to gain practical experience while providing free legal services to underserved communities in San Diego County. Since then, USD School of Law has continued to expand its clinical offerings with programs such as Health Law Clinic, Center for Public Interest Law and International Human Rights Clinic. The school is also home to several academic centers such as Center for Pro Bono and Nonprofit Leadership as well as numerous student-run organizations dedicated to public service and advocacy work. Today, USD School of Law has an enrollment of over 700 students who are able to pursue their passions through specialized coursework and hands-on experiences outside the classroom.
University of San Diego School of Law is located in the state of California. As one of the leading law programs, University of San Diego School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 158-162 when recruiting new students. As a return, the median starting salary for law graduates reaches $85,000 per year. See the following table for detailed admissions information and career profiles of University of San Diego School of Law.
Admissions: University of San Diego
The University of San Diego School of Law boasts an impressive admissions rate, with only 35.6% of applicants being accepted in 2016. The average GPA for incoming students was 3.6, and the median LSAT score was 157. The school is committed to creating a diverse student body, with minorities comprising 29% of the student population. Additionally, the school offers a unique program called the Law Fellows Program that provides full-tuition scholarships to promising students from diverse backgrounds who are dedicated to making a difference in their communities. This program has helped create an even more diverse and vibrant academic environment at USD School of Law. In addition to the traditional J.D program, USD also offers several joint degree programs such as a J.D/MBA and a J.D/Master’s in Public Administration for those interested in pursuing multiple areas of study simultaneously.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
4,404
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
1,504
Overall acceptance rate
34.2%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
321
Number of full-time program applicants
4,010
Number of full-time program acceptances
1,416
Full-time acceptance rate
35.3%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
281
Number of part-time program applicants
394
Number of part-time program acceptances
88
Part-time acceptance rate
22.3%
Number of first-year part-time students enrolled
40
Fall 2019 GPA and LSAT Scores
25th-75th percentile GPA scores for all students
3.22-3.59
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
158-162
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.24-3.6
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
158-162
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for part-time students
3.1-3.56
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for part-time students
156-160
Careers: University of San Diego
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
78.9%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
70.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
327
Graduates employed at graduation
N/A
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
98.4%
Starting Salaries of 2018 Graduates Employed Full-time
25th percentile private sector starting salary
$65,000
Median private sector starting salary
$85,000
75th percentile private sector starting salary
$135,000
Percent in the private sector who reported salary information
68%
Median public service starting salary
$60,000
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
2.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
18.0%
Percent employed in government
13.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
4.0%
Percent employed in law firms
56.0%
Percent employed in public interest
6.0%
Percent employed in an unknown field
1.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
2.7%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
88%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
1%
Number of states where graduates are employed
17
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
1.0%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
0.3%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
0.7%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
3.7%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.3%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
0.3%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
89.7%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
2.0%
Employment location unknown
1.3%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
Career Services provides counseling and programs to help students achieve their career objectives. Annually, 225 interviewers from 30 states participate in the recruiting process for summer positions and post-graduate placement. USD alumni support many career programs, providing opportunities for education and networking.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
83.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
6.0%
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)
6.0%
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)
