Widener University, Harrisburg, School of Law Admission
Widener University, Harrisburg, School of Law Undergraduate Program
Widener University, Harrisburg, School of Law Application

The Facts

Widener University is a rather large, private institution located in the city of Harrisburg, Pennsylvania, and has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 20,000 students. The university's School of Law, however, is significantly smaller, and is home to about 513 graduate law students. The average age of enrollment is around 23, and it is fairly rare for any of the students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. The school is perhaps best known for its emphasis on practical legal skills and experience, as well as for the one on one attention students receive from their professors. The school offers degrees in the 3 year JD, as well as a combined degree in the JD/MS in library sciences in conjunction with Clarion University. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of constitutional law, corporation securities law, environmental law, government services, international law, as well as health law.

Admission to Widener University's School of Law is fairly competitive among the relatively few students who apply; last year, over 772 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 310 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 132 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 149 to 152, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.2. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and there is currently no early application program in place.

The School of Law has 41 faculty members, all of whom come from relatively diverse legal and professional backgrounds. In general, students rave about the approachability and accessibility of their professors, saying that they are always around to provide assistance. The school has a fairly manageable student to faculty ratio of about 21:1, and the small classes allow for plenty of interaction and discussion between students and their professors.

Employment Facts

Students at the School of Law do seem a bit nervous about finding jobs after graduating, however, over 89% of the most recently graduating students were able to find jobs after receiving their degree, and had an average starting salary of about $50,000. Students are most frequently hired by employers such as various local and national law firms, judicial clerkships, the legal departments of corporations, as well as various governmental organizations.

What's Good

"The professors here are very supportive of us, and they are always willing to help us out."

"The school really places an emphasis on practical experience, which is helpful on the job market."

"There is not very much competitiveness within the student body, which is nice."

What's Bad

"I wish there were more combined degrees available."

"There are some professors who are a bit stuck in the past. The classes are fairly boring."

"Some of the classes are a bit crowded, and it can be hard to have discussions."

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