Data Guide

Most of the information in the U.S. Law Schools profiles describes the 2024-25 academic year. Here are some exceptions:

• First-year section size: 2023-24
• Student-faculty ratio: 2023-24
• Grants and conditional scholarships: 2023-24
• First-time bar passage rate: 2023 graduates
• Two-year bar passage rate: 2021 graduates
• Employment information: 2023 graduates

Below are explanations of certain terms used in the U.S. Law Schools profiles. Justia does not guarantee the accuracy of statistics, which are largely based on information collected from law schools by the American Bar Association. (We do not provide statistics for schools that are not currently accredited by the ABA.) Statistics describe the JD program unless otherwise noted.

Certificates and Concentrations: Certificates may be offered within degrees or independently

First-Year Class Enrollment: Includes new students, students who deferred admission from a prior year, and readmitted students who previously dropped out

Total JD Enrollment: Includes new students, students who deferred admission, readmitted students, students enrolling with credit for prior study, students returning from leaves of absence, and students reinstated without interruption after academic disqualification

Hispanics of Any Race: A person of Cuban, Mexican, Puerto Rican, South or Central American, or other Spanish culture or origin, regardless of race

American Indian or Alaska Native: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of North America and who maintains cultural identification through tribal affiliation or community recognition

Asian: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of the Far East, Southeast Asia, or the Indian Subcontinent, including, for example, Cambodia, China, India, Japan, Korea, Malaysia, Pakistan, the Philippine Islands, Thailand, and Vietnam

Black or African-American: A person having origins in any of the black racial groups of Africa

Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Hawaii, Guam, Samoa, or other Pacific Islands

Multiracial: A non-Hispanic person who identifies with two or more of the other racial categories

White: A person having origins in any of the original peoples of Europe, the Middle East, or North Africa

Tuition & Fees: Generally the annual amount for entering full-time first-year students (approximated for schools that charge tuition on a per-credit basis)

Living Expenses: Total living expense budget for full-time single student, subtracting tuition and fees from overall cost of attendance

Grants: Financial aid for full-time students that requires neither repayment nor work in exchange for the funds received

Less Than Half Grants; Half to Full Grants; Full/More Than Full Grants: Describes how much of the school's tuition is covered by the grant

Conditional Scholarships: Financial aid whose retention depends on maintaining a minimum GPA or class standing (other than what is required to remain in good academic standing)

Conditional Scholarships Reduced/Eliminated After 1 Year: Does not include students who met conditions for renewal but did not continue their studies, or students who met renewal requirements but lost scholarships due to academic misconduct

Graduates Employed: Does not include graduates who are enrolled in graduate studies or employed in jobs with deferred start dates, or graduates with unknown employment status

Employment Type: Percentage of graduates in each of these fields out of total employed graduates

Jobs Requiring Bar Passage: Jobs that require or will require being admitted to the bar or being authorized to practice law, and jobs that are expected to convert to this type of role

Jobs for Which a JD Is an Advantage: Jobs for which a JD was sought or required, is common among people employed in the same type of job, or provides a demonstrable advantage in performing legal-related job duties

Professional Positions: Jobs such as those that require professional skills or training, but for which a JD did not provide a demonstrable advantage in obtaining or performing the role

Positions Funded by Their School: Either direct employment by the law school or university, or direct or indirect funding of any part of the graduate’s salary

Jobs With Deferred Start Dates: Jobs that will start after March 15 of the year following graduation

Graduate Studies: Further postgraduate education for which a bachelor’s degree is typically required for enrollment

Employment Locations: Number of graduates employed in each of the three states with the greatest numbers of graduates