Top 12 Law Schools with Lowest Acceptance Rates: A Glimpse into Highly Competitive Legal Education

Competition for admission to top law schools is wider than undergraduate programs; prospective graduate students seeking a legal education also face formidable challenges. Aspiring law students must contend with high GPAs, competitive LSAT scores, and other factors to secure a spot in prestigious law institutions. Among the 196 U.S. News-ranked law schools for fall 2022, the national average acceptance rate was 41%. However, the real struggle lies with the 12 law schools with the lowest acceptance rates, which boasted an average acceptance rate of just 11%.
 

Renowned for its academic excellence, Yale Law School emerged as the most exclusive among these institutions, admitting only a single-digit percentage of applicants. Close behind was Stanford Law School in California, with a similarly challenging 7% acceptance rate, accepting only 336 students out of a staggering 4,882 applicants.
 
While the University of Michigan—Ann Arbor Law School and the University of Chicago Law School had the highest acceptance rates among the 12, each at 14%, these figures still highlight the rigorous competition that candidates face.
 
Looking beyond the top 12, the University of North Dakota School of Law stood out with the highest acceptance rate among all law schools for fall 2022, an astonishing 73%. This marked a significant contrast to the stringent entry requirements of the most selective law schools.
 
Of the 12 law schools with the lowest acceptance rates, only three were public institutions: the University of Michigan, the University of Virginia, and the University of California, Berkeley. California took the lead in hosting such highly selective law schools, claiming three spots on the list, followed closely by Massachusetts with two.
 
Here is the list of the 12 law schools with the lowest-rounded acceptance rates for the fall 2022 intake:


 

• Yale Law School - 6%
• Stanford Law School - 7%
• Boston College Law School - 10%
• Harvard Law School - 10%
• University of Pennsylvania Carey Law School - 10%
• Duke University School of Law - 11%
• Columbia Law School - 12%
• University of California, Berkeley School of Law - 12%
• University of Southern California Gould School of Law - 13%
• University of Virginia School of Law - 13%
• University of Chicago Law School - 14%
• University of Michigan—Ann Arbor Law School - 14%

 
For aspiring law students, achieving success requires a relentless pursuit of academic excellence and outstanding LSAT scores. Understanding the competitive landscape and the standards set by top law schools is essential in charting a path toward a rewarding legal career. With fierce competition in the legal education domain, aspiring lawyers must thoroughly prepare and utilize all available resources to gain admission into their dream law schools.