Columbia Law School - Columbia University in the City of New York
#5 in Best Law Schools
#6 in Highest LSAT Scores
#7 in Lowest Acceptance Rate
#6 in Largest Law Schools
Founded in 1858, Columbia Law School - Columbia University in the City of New York is a Private (not-for-profit) school located in New York, NY. The next statements briefly introduces Columbia Law School. The 2025 tuition data is from the school's financial office and admission and other information is based on American Bar Association (ABA) data.
- The average LSAT Score of enrolled students is 173 where the national average LSAT is 159.
- The average GPA of enrolled students is 3.90 where the national average GPA is 3.61.
- The 2025 law school tuition & fees is $81,292 where the national average law school tuition is $51,002.
- The acceptance rate at is 12.2% where the average acceptance rate is 42.3%.
- Total 1,748 law school students have enrolled.
- The bar exam pass rate (for first-time exam takers) is 93.7% where the average pass rate of all law schools is 77.2%.
2024 Tuition & Fees
The 2024-2025 law school tuition at Columbia Law School - Columbia University in the City of New York is $78,278. The law school tuition has increased by 3.85% from last year. The 2023 undergraduate tuition & fees is $68,171. The graduate school tuition & fees other than law school is $56,279.
The average living costs including room & board, books, and other personal expenses is $32,419. This amount may not include health insurance fee and exam fees and varies by student's living setting.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Law School Tuition & Fees | $76,088 | $78,278 | $81,292 |
| Law School Living Expenses | $27,540 | $27,878 | $27,878 |
| Undergraduate Tuition | $62,466 | $65,508 | $68,171a |
| Graduate Tuition | $52,924 | $54,627 | $56,279a |
| General On-campus Living Costs | $17,712 | $18,592 | $19,150a |
| General Off-campus Living Costs | $26,010 | $19,660 | $20,550a |
a The amount is not published yet by IPEDS. It is an estimated amount based on 2023 and 2024 rates.
LSAT Scores & GPA
The 2024 average LSAT score for Columbia Law School is 173. Compared to the average LSAT of all law schools, Columbia Law School's LSAT score is higher (competitive score) (the average is 159).
The average GPA is 3.9, which is the higher (competitive score) of other law schools (average is 3.61).
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | |||
| 75th Percentile | 176 | 175 | 175 |
| 50th Percentile | 174 | 173 | 173 |
| 25th Percentile | 172 | 171 | 169 |
| GPA | |||
| 75th Percentile | 3.92 | 3.95 | 3.97 |
| 50th Percentile | 3.84 | 3.87 | 3.9 |
| 25th Percentile | 3.75 | 3.78 | 3.81 |
Acceptance Rate & Yield
The 2024 acceptance rate at Columbia Law School is 12.2% where 7,754 applicants have applied to and 948 students have accepted to admit. The acceptance rate at Columbia Law School is much lower (extremely difficult to get in) compared to other law schools in united states (the average acceptance rate is 42.3%).
The Yield, also known as enrollment rate, is 38.3% where 363 students finally enrolled out of 948 admitted students. The yield Columbia Law School is average compared to other law schools (the average yield is 42.3%).
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Applicants | 9,612 | 7,972 | 7,754 |
| Admitted | 1,098 | 951 | 948 |
| Enrolled | 433 | 324 | 363 |
| Acceptance Rate | 11.4% | 11.9% | 12.2% |
| Yield | 39.4% | 34.1% | 38.3% |
Law School Enrollment
For the academic year 2023-2024, total 1,748 law school students have enrolled to Columbia Law School. 1,410 students have enrolled in JD (Juris Doctor degree) program and 338 students enrolled in Non-JD program.
415 first-time students have enrolled in Columbia Law School. By gender, 189 male , 205 female, and 7 other/unknown gender first-time students newly enrolled in Columbia Law School. With 52 pre-admitted students, there are 415 first-time law school Students at Columbia Law School.
| 2022 | 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Total Enrollment | 1,520 | 1,783 | 1,748 |
| JD Enrollment | 1,293 | 1,357 | 1,410 |
| Non-JD Enrollment | 227 | 426 | 338 |
| Non-JD Enrollment (Online) | - | - | - |
| 2023 | 2024 | |
|---|---|---|
| Total | 402 | 415 |
| Men | 193 | 189 |
| Women | 200 | 205 |
| Other | 5 | 7 |
Bar Exam Pass Rate
For the first time bar exam takers at Columbia Law School, the bar exam pass rate is 93.72% - 397 students have taken and 372 students have passed the exam. The pass rate is higher than New York average bar exam pass rate (81.24%).
| 2021 | 2022 | 2023 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Number of Graduates | 427 | 461 | 400 |
| First-Time Bar Exam Takers Total | 412 | 460 | 397 |
| New Graduates | 402 | 431 | 381 |
| Prior Year Graduates | 3 | 18 | 4 |
| Early Exam Takers | 7 | 11 | 12 |
| No Exam Takers | 18 | 18 | 17 |
| Exam Passer | 397 | 444 | 372 |
| Exam Pass Rate | 96.36% | 96.52% | 93.72% |
| New York Pass Rate | 0% | 84.22% | 81.24% |
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