City University of New York, School of Law at Queens College Admission
City University of New York, School of Law at Queens College Undergraduate Program
City University of New York, School of Law at Queens College Application

The Facts

The City University of New York at Queens College is a branch of the larger CUNY system, and has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 18,000 students. The university's School of Law, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to about 444 graduate law students. The average age of enrollment is around 28, and it is quite rare for any students to enter the school directly after their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its internship opportunities, its professional connections within the New York legal community, as well as for its nearly exclusive focus on public interest and community service law. The schools motto says it all: "Law in the Service of Human Needs." The school offers the 3 year JD degree only, however, there are a multitude of specializations available to students. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of criminal law, human rights law, civil rights law, domestic violence law, immigration law, international human rights law, as well as labor and worker law.

Admission to CUNY's School of Law at Queens College is quite competitive among the many students who apply; last year, over 2,318 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 474 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 153 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 148 to 154, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.2. Students are notified of their admissions status by the end of the month of May, and there is currently no early application program in place.

The university's school of law has 43 faculty members, and students agree that they are the best aspect of attending the school. They are professional, experienced and dedicated, and do everything they can to be accessible to their students. The school has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of 12:1, and the small classes ensure that there is plenty of discussion and interaction between students and their professors.

Employment Facts

Students at CUNY's School of Law aren't primarily focused on getting a high paying, high profile legal job. Instead, they are focused on working for the community in public interest positions. Over 83% of the most recent graduating class were able to find a job within several months of completing their degrees, with an average starting salary of about $41,200. Students are most frequently hired by the district attorney's offices in the Bronx, Manhattan, and Queens, the legal aid society, the legal services office, as well as the Nassau County's attorney's office.

What's Good

"If you want to serve the community with you legal skills, this is the place to be."

"There is a total lack of competition and pretension, because people here aren't out for the high paying jobs."

"The faculty here is wonderful; they are really caring, and they have a lot of experience under their belts."

What's Bad

"You can't be sure whether or not you'll find a job after graduating, which can be a scary prospect."

"There isn't a very campus-y feel here. Everyone just commutes from all around the New York area."

"There are way too many required courses to take, and it seems like you never get to your specialty."

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