Yale University, Yale Law School Admission
Yale University, Yale Law School Undergraduate Program
Yale University, Yale Law School Application

The Facts

Yale University is one of the most prestigious private institutions in the country located in the town of New Haven, Connecticut. The university has a combined graduate and undergraduate population of over 20,000 students, however, the university's Law School is significantly smaller, and is home to about 582 graduate law students. The average age of the entering class is around 24, however, it ranges quite a bit. It is rare for students to enter the school directly from their undergraduate education. All of the students are enrolled full-time, and are required to take a wide selection of courses concerning legal issues. The school is perhaps best known for its extensive clinical program where students can gain real-world experience in law and justice through a network of various firms, projects, as well as courts and social campaigns. The school offers degrees in the JD 3 year program, LLM 1 year program, MSL 1 year program, as well as the JSD program which can take up to 5 years. The school also offers a wide range of joint degrees in the JD/PhD in history, JD/PhD in political science, JD/MS in forestry, JD/MS in sociology, JD/MS in statistics, as well as the JD/MBA in conjunction with the Yale School of Management. Some of the most popular programs of study include courses in the areas of international law, criminal justice, public law and social activism, as well as federal litigation.

Admission to the Yale Law School is extremely competitive among the many students who apply; last year, over 3,783 students applied for admission to the school, and approximately 248 of those students were accepted. Eventually however, only about 189 of the admitted students actually enrolled for the coming semester. The admitted students had an average LSAT score ranging from 168 to 175, as well as an average undergraduate GPA of about a 3.8. Students are notified of their admissions status on a rolling basis, and there is currently no early admission program in place.

The school has 65 faculty members whom students say are incredibly dedicated to the school and to the success and well-being of their students. The school has an impressive student to faculty ratio of 7:1, and students say the small classes are wonderful for having lively and engaging discussions that help them greatly in grasping the more obscure legal jargon and theory.

Employment Facts

Yale Law School students don't seem to have too many concerns when it comes to getting a job after finishing their degree. Over 96% of students are able to find a job within a few months of receiving their degrees, and the average starting salary of the most recent graduating class was around $85,160. Students are most commonly hired by employers in the fields of business, industry, government, judicial clerkships, private practices, major national law firms, as well as public interest groups.

What's Good

"The faculty here is truly wonderful, and are a big part of the reason the school was such a good experience for me."

"You have many opportunities to get out in the real world and apply what you've learned while you're still working on your degree."

"The administration is actually very very helpful when it comes to getting your questions answered."

What's Bad

"There isn't as much graduate financial aid available as I would like there to be, and the school is not cheap."

"Things do get quite competitive and cutthroat here. People really feel the need to prove themselves to one another."

"There are some faculty members that can be a bit tricky to get a hold of outside of class."

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