Overview
Applicants
1,481
Acceptance Rate
85%
Median Undergrad GPA
2.90
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
445
Test Scores
LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
(enrolled students)
141 - 149
Application Process
Rolling Admissions
Yes
Application Fee
$0
CAS Service Used
Yes
Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
Yes
Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes
Deferred Admission
Yes
Other Admission Factors
Academic
LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Non-Academic
Other Factors
Selectivity Rating
Faculty Information
Total Faculty
202
39
Female
13
Underrepresented Minorities
Students Say
The Thomas M. Cooley Law School in Michigan is 鈥渢he largest law school鈥 in the United States in terms of enrollment. There are four Michigan campuses鈥攐ne in the state capital of Lansing, one in the northern suburbs of Detroit, one in Grand Rapids and one in Ann Arbor. Cooley鈥檚 newest campus in Tampa Bay, Florida opened in May 2013. Cooley prides itself on 鈥渇lexible鈥 and 鈥渁ccommodating鈥 scheduling. There are 鈥渄aytime, nighttime, and weekend鈥 classes. There are 鈥渢hree terms year-round鈥 as well, and you can start in January, May, or September. Students tell us the price tag is 鈥渧ery affordable.鈥 Either way, Cooley offers 鈥渁 lot of financial aid and scholarship opportunities.鈥 Technology is also 鈥渃utting-edge,鈥 and the law library is one of the most extensive in the country.
Students here describe Cooley as an 鈥渦nderrated鈥 鈥渓awyer-making machine.鈥 It鈥檚 not the place for you if you want to imbibe legal theory, though. 鈥淭he school promotes practical application so you are ready to jump into your career鈥 immediately upon graduation. Real legal experience 鈥渋s required.鈥 Every student must complete a clinic, internship, externship, or otherwise demonstrate the equivalent in work experience. 鈥淟ectures are practical and grounded instead of theoretical.鈥 Course selection is broad and specializations are available but the number of mandatory courses is 鈥渁 little ridiculous,鈥 and it 鈥渕ay prevent you from taking many electives and delving deeply into a particular area of interest.鈥 Basically, 鈥淐ooley鈥檚 thinking is that if it is tested on the bar, it should be a required class.鈥 鈥淭his law school prepares you for the bar exam.鈥 Period.
Some students love the 鈥渉ard-working鈥 administration. Others say that the top brass is 鈥渇rigid.鈥 Far and away, the biggest administrative complaint is that Cooley takes its sweet time posting grades. Like, 鈥渇orever.鈥 The faculty is 鈥渋nteresting, entertaining, and knowledgeable,鈥 and it鈥檚 full of professors who have 鈥渁ctually practiced law.鈥 There are also 鈥渕any adjunct professors.鈥 They鈥檙e typically judges, partners at big law firms, or general counsel for major corporations. Outside of class, faculty members are very approachable. 鈥淭he accessibility of the professors is second to none,鈥 beams a 3L.
The 鈥渞igorous鈥 academic atmosphere here is 鈥渘ot for the faint hearted.鈥 鈥淐lass sizes tend to be quite large.鈥 Professors generally 鈥渆mploy the Socratic Method and are always seeking to test your knowledge of the material.鈥 鈥淭he majority of students get C鈥檚.鈥 鈥淓xams are tough, and an A is well earned.鈥 鈥淐ooley lowers the bar for admissions, but after that you are on your own to sink or swim,鈥 warns a 1L. 鈥淐ooley is very hard to stay in.鈥 Although the school has a fully staffed academic support resource center, students uniformly promise that 鈥測ou will struggle to survive through all three of your years here.鈥 鈥淵ou better know the law,鈥 they say. 鈥淚f you slack off, you鈥檒l fail out.鈥
Students here describe Cooley as an 鈥渦nderrated鈥 鈥渓awyer-making machine.鈥 It鈥檚 not the place for you if you want to imbibe legal theory, though. 鈥淭he school promotes practical application so you are ready to jump into your career鈥 immediately upon graduation. Real legal experience 鈥渋s required.鈥 Every student must complete a clinic, internship, externship, or otherwise demonstrate the equivalent in work experience. 鈥淟ectures are practical and grounded instead of theoretical.鈥 Course selection is broad and specializations are available but the number of mandatory courses is 鈥渁 little ridiculous,鈥 and it 鈥渕ay prevent you from taking many electives and delving deeply into a particular area of interest.鈥 Basically, 鈥淐ooley鈥檚 thinking is that if it is tested on the bar, it should be a required class.鈥 鈥淭his law school prepares you for the bar exam.鈥 Period.
Some students love the 鈥渉ard-working鈥 administration. Others say that the top brass is 鈥渇rigid.鈥 Far and away, the biggest administrative complaint is that Cooley takes its sweet time posting grades. Like, 鈥渇orever.鈥 The faculty is 鈥渋nteresting, entertaining, and knowledgeable,鈥 and it鈥檚 full of professors who have 鈥渁ctually practiced law.鈥 There are also 鈥渕any adjunct professors.鈥 They鈥檙e typically judges, partners at big law firms, or general counsel for major corporations. Outside of class, faculty members are very approachable. 鈥淭he accessibility of the professors is second to none,鈥 beams a 3L.
The 鈥渞igorous鈥 academic atmosphere here is 鈥渘ot for the faint hearted.鈥 鈥淐lass sizes tend to be quite large.鈥 Professors generally 鈥渆mploy the Socratic Method and are always seeking to test your knowledge of the material.鈥 鈥淭he majority of students get C鈥檚.鈥 鈥淓xams are tough, and an A is well earned.鈥 鈥淐ooley lowers the bar for admissions, but after that you are on your own to sink or swim,鈥 warns a 1L. 鈥淐ooley is very hard to stay in.鈥 Although the school has a fully staffed academic support resource center, students uniformly promise that 鈥測ou will struggle to survive through all three of your years here.鈥 鈥淵ou better know the law,鈥 they say. 鈥淚f you slack off, you鈥檒l fail out.鈥
Career overview
Median Starting Salary
$47,025
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
52%
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
25
Employers who most frequently hire graduates
Law firms
Business & industry employers
Prosecutors
Courts
Governmental agencies
Legal Services programs
Graduates Employed by Region
65%
MidWest
11%
South
10%
Mid-Atlantic
4%
Mountain
4%
South West
3%
Pacific
2%
International
1%
New England
Prominent Alumni
John Engler
Former Governor of Michigan
Bart R. Stupak
U. S. Representative
Jane Markey
Judge, Michigan Court of Appeals
Hon. Hiroe Makiyama
Councillor, House of Councillor, Diet of Japan
Bill Neilsen
Director of Industry Outreach, Developer of XBOX360 and Bing for Microsoft
Dates
Financial Aid Rating
Sep 1
Financial Aid Statistics
Expenses per Academic Year
Tuition
$44,950
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$9,000
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$2,000
Fees
$40
Student Body Profile
Total Enrollment
1,742
Parent Institution Enrollement
1,880
Average Age at Entry
32
% International
11%
Demographics
26.00%
% Under-represented Minorities
17% are full time
83% are part time
52% female
48% male
Campus Life
Students Say
Cooley 鈥渁ccepts just about anyone and everyone.鈥 The student population is 鈥渁 mixture of students who didn鈥檛 get in any place else and students who are on full scholarships because their LSAT and GPA were so high.鈥 An overwhelming majority of students are enrolled part time. Diversity of all kinds is a fabulous strength. Well more than half the future attorneys here come from some state other than Michigan. About one-third represent an ethnic minority. There are 鈥渘ontraditional students from many different professions.鈥 鈥淎ge, background, and socioeconomic status鈥 really run the gamut. 鈥淐ooley is so diverse that one could not even attempt to discriminate without confusing him- or herself,鈥 declares a 3L. On the one hand, the vast assortment of students 鈥渕akes for excellent class discussions.鈥 On the other hand, 鈥減eople divide into cliques easily鈥 outside the classroom.
The five campuses each have their own identity. In Lansing, students have a 鈥渂eautiful鈥 building downtown 鈥渂y the capitol.鈥 However, the surrounding area is largely 鈥渂leak鈥 and 鈥渄epressing.鈥 The Grand Rapids campus is similarly located in 鈥渁 refurbished old building in the heart of downtown,鈥 and it鈥檚 not in the greatest neigh-borhood, either. The decidedly suburban Auburn Hills campus is a nice and new facility 鈥渢ucked away in a wooded compound鈥 that feels like 鈥渁 generic corporate headquarters.鈥 Ann Arbor鈥檚 building was designed by renowned architect and Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice, Alden B. Dow. The stunning new Tampa Bay campus is situated on 8.8 acres in suburban Riverview.
Social life can be hit or miss. Cooley is home to a tremendous number of student organizations,鈥 and 鈥渕ost students are nice people.鈥 However, there isn鈥檛 much of a community. 鈥淎 lot of people come to class and then leave immediately after,鈥 explains a 1L. 鈥淏uilding a social life takes effort.鈥 The fact that 鈥済rades are impossible during the first few terms鈥 certainly doesn鈥檛 help. 鈥淭hose who are social butterflies mostly ended up failing out after one or two semesters,鈥 cautions a 2L. 鈥淧eople get along, but it鈥檚 best to focus on studying.鈥
The five campuses each have their own identity. In Lansing, students have a 鈥渂eautiful鈥 building downtown 鈥渂y the capitol.鈥 However, the surrounding area is largely 鈥渂leak鈥 and 鈥渄epressing.鈥 The Grand Rapids campus is similarly located in 鈥渁 refurbished old building in the heart of downtown,鈥 and it鈥檚 not in the greatest neigh-borhood, either. The decidedly suburban Auburn Hills campus is a nice and new facility 鈥渢ucked away in a wooded compound鈥 that feels like 鈥渁 generic corporate headquarters.鈥 Ann Arbor鈥檚 building was designed by renowned architect and Frank Lloyd Wright apprentice, Alden B. Dow. The stunning new Tampa Bay campus is situated on 8.8 acres in suburban Riverview.
Social life can be hit or miss. Cooley is home to a tremendous number of student organizations,鈥 and 鈥渕ost students are nice people.鈥 However, there isn鈥檛 much of a community. 鈥淎 lot of people come to class and then leave immediately after,鈥 explains a 1L. 鈥淏uilding a social life takes effort.鈥 The fact that 鈥済rades are impossible during the first few terms鈥 certainly doesn鈥檛 help. 鈥淭hose who are social butterflies mostly ended up failing out after one or two semesters,鈥 cautions a 2L. 鈥淧eople get along, but it鈥檚 best to focus on studying.鈥
More Information
% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%
Admissions Office Contact
Contact
Dr. Paul Zelenski
Associate Dean of Enrollment and Student Services
Associate Dean of Enrollment and Student Services
Address
300 South Capitol Avenue
Lansing, MI 48933
Lansing, MI 48933
Phone
517-371-5140
Email
admissions@cooley.edu
