Overview
Applicants
5,877
Acceptance Rate
20%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.70
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
391
Test Scores
LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
(enrolled students)
168 - 174
Deadlines
Application Deadlines
February 15
Application Process
Rolling Admissions
Yes
Application Fee
$85
CAS Service Used
Yes
Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
No
Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes
Deferred Admission
Yes
Other Admission Factors
Selectivity Rating
Faculty Information
Student/Faculty
7:1
Total Faculty
291
35
Female
10.7
Underrepresented Minorities
Students Say
Columbia Law School is 鈥渁 very exciting and dynamic place.鈥 The curriculum is very heavy on legal theory 鈥渨ith a dash of practical, just for show,鈥 and the 鈥渂readth of course offerings鈥 is staggering. There are countless centers and programs specializing in everything from law, media, and the arts to European legal studies to tax policy to gender and sexuality law. 鈥淕etting on a journal is remarkably noncompetitive.鈥 鈥淏eing in New York affords the opportunity to participate in almost any internship you could imagine.鈥 Programs in international law and intellectual property law are reportedly excellent. Columbia is also 鈥渁 corporate lawyer factory鈥 and the 鈥渂est place in the country for budding transactional lawyers.鈥 Public interest law is yet another strong suit here. Students who are involved are 鈥渁 bit clique-ish鈥 but, if you are in the clique, you鈥檒l have access to a wealth of opportunities as well as a tremendously generous loan repayment assistance program.
The 鈥渦nbelievable,鈥 鈥渦nmatched鈥 faculty at Columbia is 鈥渁mazing鈥 鈥渁cross the board.鈥 鈥淐olumbia does a good job mixing the young, relatable rising superstars with older, more practiced professors.鈥 Virtually all of them 鈥渕ake class interesting,鈥 and 鈥渢hey鈥檙e the number-one reason to come to CLS (besides the prestige, of course).鈥 Professors also 鈥渕ake a huge effort to be approachable鈥 and 鈥渁re happy to give career-related advice or answer questions.鈥 The administration isn鈥檛 as beloved. Happier students note that there are some 鈥渞eally caring people鈥 on staff. However, the general sentiment seems to be that management is somewhat 鈥渄isdainful.鈥
When the time comes to find a real job, 鈥渆mployment prospects are unbeatable and the alumni network is extraordinarily strong.鈥 Career Services is 鈥渧ery helpful in offering support in a variety of capacities.鈥 Columbia boasts a 鈥渉igh placement rate in big law firms鈥 and 鈥渢he opportunities for working in prestigious government and sought-after public interest positions are unparalleled.鈥 鈥淚t鈥檚 Columbia,鈥 candidly explains a 2L. 鈥淭he name buys you a lot.鈥 About the only complaint we hear is the contention that 鈥渢he employment focus is a little too New York鈥揷entric.鈥
The facilities here are far from great. 鈥淓verything is very modern鈥 and 鈥渢he building is serviceable and clean, but it is ugly.鈥 Classrooms 鈥渁ren鈥檛 terribly comfortable,鈥 and 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not as pretty as what you鈥檒l find at other Ivy League law schools.鈥 鈥淭he library is one of the best in the country鈥 as far as the resources on offer are concerned, but its aesthetic 鈥渋s absolutely hideous,鈥 says an appalled 2L.
The 鈥渦nbelievable,鈥 鈥渦nmatched鈥 faculty at Columbia is 鈥渁mazing鈥 鈥渁cross the board.鈥 鈥淐olumbia does a good job mixing the young, relatable rising superstars with older, more practiced professors.鈥 Virtually all of them 鈥渕ake class interesting,鈥 and 鈥渢hey鈥檙e the number-one reason to come to CLS (besides the prestige, of course).鈥 Professors also 鈥渕ake a huge effort to be approachable鈥 and 鈥渁re happy to give career-related advice or answer questions.鈥 The administration isn鈥檛 as beloved. Happier students note that there are some 鈥渞eally caring people鈥 on staff. However, the general sentiment seems to be that management is somewhat 鈥渄isdainful.鈥
When the time comes to find a real job, 鈥渆mployment prospects are unbeatable and the alumni network is extraordinarily strong.鈥 Career Services is 鈥渧ery helpful in offering support in a variety of capacities.鈥 Columbia boasts a 鈥渉igh placement rate in big law firms鈥 and 鈥渢he opportunities for working in prestigious government and sought-after public interest positions are unparalleled.鈥 鈥淚t鈥檚 Columbia,鈥 candidly explains a 2L. 鈥淭he name buys you a lot.鈥 About the only complaint we hear is the contention that 鈥渢he employment focus is a little too New York鈥揷entric.鈥
The facilities here are far from great. 鈥淓verything is very modern鈥 and 鈥渢he building is serviceable and clean, but it is ugly.鈥 Classrooms 鈥渁ren鈥檛 terribly comfortable,鈥 and 鈥淭hey鈥檙e not as pretty as what you鈥檒l find at other Ivy League law schools.鈥 鈥淭he library is one of the best in the country鈥 as far as the resources on offer are concerned, but its aesthetic 鈥渋s absolutely hideous,鈥 says an appalled 2L.
Career overview
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
98%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
100%
Career Services
On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes
On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes
# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
750
Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Large international corporate law firms, federal judges, federal government agencies, and public interest organizations.
Graduates Employed by Area
81%
Private Practice
6%
Judicial Clerkships
5%
Public Interes
4%
Government
3%
Business/Industry
Graduates Employed by Region
75%
Mid-Atlantic
8%
South
7%
Pacific
3%
International
3%
New England
2%
South West
1%
MidWest
Prominent Alumni
Ruth Bader Ginsburg
Justice/U.S. Supreme Court
Brad Meltzer
Author
Brad Smith
Executive VP and General Council, Microsoft
Sheena Wright
President/CEO of United Way
Eric Holder
Attorney General of the United States
Dates
Financial Aid Rating
Mar 1
Application Deadlines
Apr 1
Financial Aid Statistics
Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$47,449
% Students Receiving Some Aid
75%
Expenses per Academic Year
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$21,738
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,575
Student Body Profile
Total Enrollment
1,234
Parent Institution Enrollement
30,304
Number of Foreign Countries Represented
45
Average Age at Entry
24
% International
11%
Demographics
32.00%
% Under-represented Minorities
100% are full time
0% are part time
48% female
52% male
Campus Life
Students Say
The population of future lawyers at Columbia is 鈥渆xtremely diverse,鈥 generally young, and 鈥渜uite national.鈥 Students describe this place as 鈥渁 nerd paradise,鈥 full of 鈥済eniuses鈥 who are 鈥渂rilliant and accomplished but surprisingly cool.鈥 鈥淭here are spoiled brats, and awkward types, and public interest people, and friendly people, and inflated egos, and social people,鈥 reports a 3L. A few students say there is a 鈥渄ivide between students of different economic and academic鈥 backgrounds. However, many others insist that personal circumstances don鈥檛 matter at all. 鈥淭here isn鈥檛 any sort of conspicuous divide between the student body on socioeconomic or geographic factors until you realize that most of the Ivy kids are terrible at beer pong,鈥 quips a 1L.
Academically, 鈥淭here is an atmosphere of [intensity] here.鈥 Students are 鈥渃onstantly assessing how they stack up, which feeds into the collective neurosis.鈥 Some students assert that the struggle for top grades is pretty brutal. 鈥淧eople in general are not happy to share notes,鈥 claims a 2L. 鈥淭hey are, in fact, very secretive about their notes.鈥 鈥淥ur reputation for gunning, competitive jerks is unfortunately true for about 5 percent of the class,鈥 laments a 1L. Other students tell us, 鈥淧eople are extremely generous about sharing their outlines and studying together.鈥 鈥淚f you miss a class,鈥 they say, 鈥測our neighbors will e-mail you their notes without you even asking.鈥
Columbia鈥檚 location in a 鈥渟afe, relatively quiet鈥 neighborhood on Manhattan鈥檚 Upper West Side provides few distractions when you are trying to study. When students put down their casebooks, though, they can take advantage of a 鈥渧ibrant student community.鈥 鈥淵ou鈥檒l be happy socially here unless you are a complete tool,鈥 promises a 2L. 鈥淓veryone is fairly involved in all sorts of organizations.鈥 鈥淭here are multiple lunch events every day, and there鈥檚 some sort of lecture or panel or firm event with dinner almost every evening.鈥 There are 鈥減lenty of students who want to party like it鈥檚 college,鈥 too, and 鈥渘o shortage of happy hours.鈥 Living in the Big Apple is also a massive plus. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to explain the type of magnetic force this place can be unless you鈥檝e lived here and worked here,鈥 reflects a 1L. 鈥淣ew York City means students can do anything they please (with the free hours they have).鈥
Academically, 鈥淭here is an atmosphere of [intensity] here.鈥 Students are 鈥渃onstantly assessing how they stack up, which feeds into the collective neurosis.鈥 Some students assert that the struggle for top grades is pretty brutal. 鈥淧eople in general are not happy to share notes,鈥 claims a 2L. 鈥淭hey are, in fact, very secretive about their notes.鈥 鈥淥ur reputation for gunning, competitive jerks is unfortunately true for about 5 percent of the class,鈥 laments a 1L. Other students tell us, 鈥淧eople are extremely generous about sharing their outlines and studying together.鈥 鈥淚f you miss a class,鈥 they say, 鈥測our neighbors will e-mail you their notes without you even asking.鈥
Columbia鈥檚 location in a 鈥渟afe, relatively quiet鈥 neighborhood on Manhattan鈥檚 Upper West Side provides few distractions when you are trying to study. When students put down their casebooks, though, they can take advantage of a 鈥渧ibrant student community.鈥 鈥淵ou鈥檒l be happy socially here unless you are a complete tool,鈥 promises a 2L. 鈥淓veryone is fairly involved in all sorts of organizations.鈥 鈥淭here are multiple lunch events every day, and there鈥檚 some sort of lecture or panel or firm event with dinner almost every evening.鈥 There are 鈥減lenty of students who want to party like it鈥檚 college,鈥 too, and 鈥渘o shortage of happy hours.鈥 Living in the Big Apple is also a massive plus. 鈥淚t鈥檚 hard to explain the type of magnetic force this place can be unless you鈥檝e lived here and worked here,鈥 reflects a 1L. 鈥淣ew York City means students can do anything they please (with the free hours they have).鈥
More Information
% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%
Admissions Office Contact
Contact
Nkonye Iwerebon
Dean of Admissions
Dean of Admissions
Address
435 West 116th Street, Box A-3
New York, NY 10027
New York, NY 10027
Phone
212-854-2674
Email
admissions@law.columbia.edu
