April 23, 2026

Legal Education Data Deck

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AccessLex Institute®  prepares the Legal Education Data Deck for the use of the legal education community, policymakers, and others interested in the latest law student trends organized around our three driving principles: access, affordability, and value. The Data Deck is a living document that is updated on a triannual basis. The most recent updates, added in spring 2026, illustrate snapshots and trends of law school applications, admissions, enrollment, and scholarships.

Notable updates include the following:

  1. At 76,500, the number of law school applicants in 2025 increased by 11,700 (18%) compared to 2024, the single greatest year-over-year increase since 2004. The counts of admitted applicants and matriculants increased by considerably smaller margins (11% and eight percent, respectively), suggesting that 2025 may have been an especially competitive application cycle.
     
  2. Indeed, the law school admission rate fell by four percentage points in 2025, reaching 65% — the lowest rate observed in any application cycle since 2006. The rate had previously hovered around 69% for a period of approximately five years.
     
  3. In 2025, the number of men enrolling in J.D. programs increased for the first time since 2010. Nevertheless, the increase in female enrollees continued to outpace that of male enrollees.
     
  4. The number of J.D. degrees awarded leveled off to 36,340 in 2025, following a spike in 2024. Even so, the share of J.D. degrees awarded to students of color continued to increase, rising by one percentage point to a new peak of 35%.

 

The data contained herein exists thanks to the work of the Law School Admission Council, the National Conference of Bar Examiners, the National Association for Law Placement, the American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, the U.S. Department of Education, and the U.S. Department of Labor. We thank these and other organizations for making such data available.

AccessLex uses these data as the basis for the presentation, analysis, and commentary contained herein and takes sole responsibility for the quality and accuracy of such presentation, analysis, and commentary.

The next update is scheduled for fall 2026, which will feature the most recent data on first-time bar passage, as well as employment outcomes and salaries.