Northwestern University, School of Law Admission
Northwestern University, School of Law Undergraduate Program
Northwestern University, School of Law Application

The Facts

Northwestern University is a rather large, prestigious, private institution located in the town of Evanston, Illinois. The university itself has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 30,000 students, however, the university's School of Law is significantly smaller, and is home to about 771 graduate law students. The average age of enrollment is around 25, and it is quite rare for students to enter directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its diversity of material and teaching methods, its wonderful research resources, as well as for its strong ties in the Chicago law and justice community. The school offers degrees in the 3 year JD, the 1 year LLM, the 5 year SJD, the 1 year LLM in taxation, the 1 year LLM in human rights, as well as the 2 year JD for international lawyers. The school also offers a wide range of joint degrees in the 3 year JD/MBA, the 6 year JD/PhD, the 4 year JD/MA, the 2 year MSJ/MSL, as well as the 1 year LLM/certificate in management. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of civil litigation, corporation securities law, human rights law, international law, taxation, health law, as well as law and social policy.

Admission to Northwestern University's School of Law is extremely competitive among the many students who apply each year; last year, over 4,800 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 774 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 244 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 166 to 170, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.7. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and are also able to take advantage of the school's early application program.

The university's School of Law has 154 faculty members, and students seem to agree that they are very knowledgeable and very dedicated to their students and the school in general. The school has a very manageable student to faculty ratio of 12:1, and the small classes allow for plenty of interaction between the students and their professors. It is also worth noting that the faculty is very diverse, and students are encouraged to share their honest opinions without fear of being reproached or judged unfairly.

Employment Facts

Students at Northwestern's School of Law don't seem to worry very much about getting a job after completing their degree. Over 99% of the most recent graduating class was able to find a job within a few months of receiving their degree, and had an average starting salary of about $125,000. Some firms that have frequently recruited Northwestern graduates include Skadden Arps, Cravath, Swain, and Moore, Sidley and Austin, Kirkland and Ellis, Latham and Watkins, Jones, Day, Reavis and Pogue, Katten, Muchin and Zavis, Morrison and Foerster, as well as Winston and Strawn.

What's Good

"There are a ton of internships, externships, and clerkships to take part in, and they are fantastic learning experiences."

"The faculty here is incredible, and have a lot of very very wise advice to share."

"Chicago is quite close and accessible, and it is a great city in which to live and make connections."

What's Bad

"There is a lot of competing that goes on here, and not in a terrifically friendly manner."

"There needs to be more on campus graduate housing available. The area is simply too expensive to find an apartment."

"The administration can be very difficult to deal with, because they have so many students to deal with in turn."

Get assistance with your Law School essay or application.

• View our services
• Send a request now
• Read articles about applying to college