Analyzing trends in admissions, acceptance rates, enrollment rates, applicants, and admitted students across institutions
Law school admissions have undergone significant changes over the past decade. Acceptance rates have become considerably more competitive, making it increasingly difficult for applicants to gain admission.
In 2016, law schools received 336,254 applications, admitted 144,571 students (acceptance rate: 51.6%), and enrolled 35,340 students (enrollment rate: 14.6%). For the academic year 2025-2026, applications reached 517,139, admissions totaled 137,399 (acceptance rate: 36.1%), and enrollments were 42,059 (enrollment rate: 12.1%).
Law school acceptance rates have fluctuated over the years, influenced by factors such as application volume, law school capacity, and changes in the legal job market.
In 2016, the average acceptance rate for law schools was around 51.6%, with some highly competitive institutions accepting less than 10% of applicants. By 2026, the average acceptance rate had decreased to approximately 36.1%, reflecting increased competition among applicants.
This decline in acceptance rates has made it more challenging for prospective law students to gain admission to their desired schools, particularly at top-tier institutions.
| Year | Acceptance Ratio | Applicants | Admitted |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 51.6% | 336,254 | 144,571 |
| 2017 | 49.5% -2.1% | 343,093 6,839 | 140,055 -4,516 |
| 2018 | 48.3% -1.2% | 347,260 4,167 | 137,863 -2,192 |
| 2019 | 45.8% -2.4% | 376,401 29,141 | 137,070 -793 |
| 2020 | 45.1% -0.8% | 372,983 -3,418 | 131,680 -5,390 |
| 2021 | 44.1% -1% | 375,123 2,140 | 130,768 -912 |
| 2022 | 40.1% -4% | 475,703 100,580 | 135,643 4,875 |
| 2023 | 40.9% 0.8% | 427,103 -48,600 | 128,500 -7,143 |
| 2024 | 42.4% 1.5% | 414,758 -12,345 | 130,837 2,337 |
| 2025 | 41.7% -0.7% | 427,004 12,246 | 135,678 4,841 |
| 2026 | 36.1% -5.6% | 517,139 90,135 | 137,399 1,721 |
Enrollment rates reflect the percentage of admitted students who choose to enroll at a law school. These rates indicate the attractiveness and competitiveness of institutions in converting admitted applicants into enrolled students.
In 2016, the average offer acceptance rate (enrolled over admitted) was approximately 28.2%, while the overall enrollment rate (enrolled over applicants) was 14.6%. By 2026, the offer acceptance rate had increased to around 33.3%, and the overall enrollment rate decreased to 12.1%.
Key differences between these metrics:
| Year | Enrollment Rate | Offer Accept Rate | Admitted | Enrolled |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2016 | 14.6% | 28.2% | 144,571 | 35,340 |
| 2017 | 14.8% 0.2% | 29.5% 1.3% | 140,055 -4,516 | 35,818 478 |
| 2018 | 14.5% -0.3% | 29.5% | 137,863 -2,192 | 35,677 -141 |
| 2019 | 14.1% -0.4% | 30.3% 0.8% | 137,070 -793 | 37,013 1,336 |
| 2020 | 14.6% 0.5% | 31.7% 1.5% | 131,680 -5,390 | 36,919 -94 |
| 2021 | 14.3% -0.3% | 31.7% | 130,768 -912 | 36,946 27 |
| 2022 | 13.3% -1% | 32.7% 1% | 135,643 4,875 | 40,338 3,392 |
| 2023 | 13% -0.2% | 31.5% -1.2% | 128,500 -7,143 | 36,795 -3,543 |
| 2024 | 13.1% 0.1% | 31% -0.5% | 130,837 2,337 | 36,756 -39 |
| 2025 | 13.2% 0.1% | 32% 1% | 135,678 4,841 | 38,641 1,885 |
| 2026 | 12.1% -1.2% | 33.3% 1.4% | 137,399 1,721 | 42,059 3,418 |
For the academic year 2025-2026, on average, public law schools receive approximately 2,150 applications per institution over 86 ABA-accredited public law schools, while private law schools receive 3,048 applications per institution over 109 private law schools.
In 2016, public law schools received 117,425 applications with an average acceptance rate of 49.1%, while private law schools received 218,829 applications with an acceptance rate of 53.4%. By 2026, public law school applications increased to 184,867 with an acceptance rate of 34.3%, while private law school applications increased to 332,272 with an acceptance rate of 37.4%.
| Year | Public | Private | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Applications | Acceptance Rate | Applications | Acceptance Rate | |
| 2016 | 117,425 | 49.1% | 218,829 | 53.4% |
| 2017 | 120,810 3,385 | 46.8% -2.3% | 222,283 3,454 | 51.5% -2% |
| 2018 | 122,768 1,958 | 46.2% -0.5% | 224,492 2,209 | 49.8% -1.7% |
| 2019 | 134,622 11,854 | 43.8% -2.4% | 241,779 17,287 | 47.4% -2.4% |
| 2020 | 131,853 -2,769 | 42.9% -0.9% | 241,130 -649 | 46.7% -0.7% |
| 2021 | 132,166 313 | 42.5% -0.4% | 242,957 1,827 | 45.3% -1.4% |
| 2022 | 167,902 35,736 | 39% -3.5% | 307,801 64,844 | 41% -4.3% |
| 2023 | 154,064 -13,838 | 39.9% 0.9% | 273,039 -34,762 | 41.8% 0.8% |
| 2024 | 149,858 -4,206 | 41.4% 1.5% | 264,900 -8,139 | 43.2% 1.4% |
| 2025 | 152,669 2,811 | 40.4% -0.9% | 274,335 9,435 | 42.7% -0.5% |
| 2026 | 184,867 32,198 | 34.3% -6.1% | 332,272 57,937 | 37.4% -5.3% |
