The University of Southern California Gould School of Law was founded in 1896, making it the oldest law school in Southern California. For the first few years, the school was located in downtown Los Angeles, but in 1904 it moved to its current location on the main campus of USC. Since then, USC Gould has grown to become one of the most prestigious law schools in the country. The school has consistently ranked among the top 25 law schools by U.S. News & World Report and is known for its commitment to excellence and innovation in legal education.
In addition to its strong academic reputation, USC Gould is also known for its diverse student body and faculty, which reflects a wide variety of backgrounds and interests. The school offers a broad range of courses from areas such as business law, criminal justice, constitutional law and international law. It also offers specialized programs such as the Summer Program for International Lawyers and Scholars (SPILS) which give students an opportunity to study abroad for a semester or two while earning credits towards their degree. In addition to this program, USC Gould has several joint degrees with other universities such as UCLA School of Law and UC Berkeley School of Law that allow students to earn both a J.D. degree from USC Gould as well as another degree from one of these institutions.
University of Southern California Gould School of Law is located in the state of California. As one of the leading law programs, University of Southern California Gould School of Law has a high average LSAT score of 165-167 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 Southern California Gould School of Law.
Admissions: University of Southern California (Gould)
The University of Southern California Gould School of Law is one of the most prestigious law schools in the country. The admissions statistics show that out of the 8,631 applicants for the 2021-2022 academic year, only 1,097 were accepted. This gives USC Gould an acceptance rate of 12.7%, making it one of the most selective law schools in the nation. The median GPA for accepted applicants was 3.71 and the median LSAT score was 169. In addition to these impressive statistics, USC Gould also boasts a diverse student body with students coming from over 75 countries and all 50 states. The school is committed to providing a supportive environment to all students regardless of race, gender, ethnicity, or sexual orientation. USC Gould also provides numerous scholarships and financial aid opportunities to make sure that no student is denied access to a quality legal education because of financial constraints.
Fall 2019 Admissions and Enrollment Statistics
Total number of full- and part-time applicants
6,024
Total number of full- and part-time acceptances
1,322
Overall acceptance rate
21.9%
Total number of full- and part-time first-year students enrolled
215
Number of full-time program applicants
6,024
Number of full-time program acceptances
1,322
Full-time acceptance rate
21.9%
Number of first-year full-time students enrolled
215
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
3.47-3.71
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for all students
165-167
25th-75th percentile undergraduate GPA for full-time students
3.47-3.71
25th-75th percentile LSAT scores for full-time students
165-167
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 Southern California (Gould)
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
89.6%
Statewide bar passage rate for first-time test takers
70.7%
Class of 2018 Graduates
Total graduates
210
Graduates employed at graduation
91.9%
Graduates known to be employed nine months after graduation
97.1%
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
82%
Median public service starting salary
$45,000
Areas of Legal Practice (Class of 2018)
Percent employed in academia
3.0%
Percent employed in business and industry
6.5%
Percent employed in government
4.0%
Percent employed in all judicial clerkships
5.0%
Percent employed in law firms
76.0%
Percent employed in public interest
5.5%
Percent employed in an unknown field
0.0%
Percent employed in a judicial clerkship by an Article III federal judge
5.0%
2018 Graduates Employment Location
Graduates employed in-state
86%
Graduates employed in foreign countries
0%
Number of states where graduates are employed
13
New England (CT, ME, MA, NH, RI, VT)
0.5%
Middle Atlantic (NY, NJ, PA)
7.0%
East North Central (IL, IN, MI, OH, WI)
0.0%
West North Central (IA, KS, MN, MO, NE, ND, SD)
0.0%
South Atlantic (DE, DC, FL, GA, MD, NC, SC, VA, WV)
1.6%
East South Central (AL, KY, MS, TN)
0.0%
West South Central (AR, LA, OK, TX)
2.7%
Pacific (AK, CA, HI, OR, WA)
85.5%
Mountain (AZ, CO, ID, MT, NV, NM, UT, WY)
2.7%
Employment location unknown
0.0%
Career Services
(Data appear as originally submitted by this school)
Career services operations
First-year students meet individually with career counselors to map personalized job search strategy. Counselors are attorneys with deep understanding of legal job market; one staff member focuses on clerkship assistance. Services include workshops, simulated interviews, mock alumni interviews, career guidance, resume help. Extensive national alumni network offers broad networking opportunities.
Job Type
Bar admission required or anticipated (e.g., attorney and corporate counsel positions, law clerks, judicial clerks)
89.0%
J.D. preferred, law degree enhances position (e.g., corporate contracts administrator, alternative dispute resolution specialist, government regulatory analyst, FBI special agent)
9.0%
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)
1.0%
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)
