Cornell Law School
Ithaca, New York · Private · ABA-approved since 1923 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Cornell Law School is a private law school in Ithaca, New York, approved by the American Bar Association since 1923. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 173, higher than 95% of ABA-approved schools, saw 93.7% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 99.5% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- 99.5% of 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs, more than at 99% of schools.
- Tuition and fees of $85,412, more than 98% of schools charge.
- A median LSAT of 173, higher than 95% of ABA-approved schools.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Cornell University received 4,608 completed applications and made 838 offers, an acceptance rate of 18.2%. 217 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 168 | 173 | 175 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.75 | 3.92 | 3.97 |
A quarter of the class scored 168 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 175 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 173, is in the stronger half of this class; one below the 25th percentile is a long shot unless something else in the file stands out.
6 of the entering students were admitted on a GRE score instead of the LSAT.
Where would your numbers fall in this class?
Enter an LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. We compare them with the class that entered in fall 2025. This shows where your numbers sit, not your chances: admissions offices read the whole file.
Tuition, living costs and scholarships
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $85,412 a year. That is more than 98% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $32,952 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $84,722 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $690 |
| Living costs, on campus | $32,952 |
| Living costs, off campus | $32,952 |
| Living costs, at home | $32,952 |
In 2024-25, 91% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $30,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $28,000 to $45,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $55,412 a year in tuition and fees, before living costs. That is a rough guide, since awards vary and some students get nothing.
| Size of grant, all students | Share of students |
|---|---|
| Less than half tuition | 67% |
| Half to full tuition | 22% |
| Full tuition | 2% |
| More than full tuition | 0% |
Scholarships that can be cut. The school reports that it does not award scholarships that are reduced or ended because of grades, other than for failing to stay in good academic standing.
Three years, roughly. At 2025-26 prices, three years of full-time tuition and fees plus off-campus living costs come to about $355,092. With the median scholarship every year, about $265,092. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 190 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 178 passed: 93.7%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 85.8%, so the school finished 7.9 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 11 other jurisdictions | 29 | 28 | 96.5% | 78.8% |
| New York | 136 | 125 | 91.9% | 87.3% |
| California | 15 | 15 | 100% | 82.7% |
| District of Columbia | 10 | 10 | 100% | 87.5% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 171 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 168 had passed one within two years: 98.2%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 197 2025 graduates, 196 (99.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 0 more (0%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 0 (0%) were unemployed and looking for work. 6 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 197 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 124 (62.9%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in New York (122), followed by District of Columbia (17) and California (13).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 0 first-year students left Cornell University: 0 for academic reasons (0%) and 0 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (0%).
Transfers run both ways: 8 first-year students transferred out and 0 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Cornell University offered 259 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 85% had fewer than 25 students and 3% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 290 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 290 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 234 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 349 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 0 |
The school reports 76 full-time faculty and 115 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 611 J.D. students, that is about 8 students per full-time faculty member.
How Cornell University compares in New York
New York has 15 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Cornell University ranks first in median LSAT, 3rd in first-time bar passage, first in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 13th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Columbia University | 173 | $88,390 | 94.7% | 96.5% |
| Cornell University | 173 | $85,412 | 93.7% | 99.5% |
| New York University | 172 | $87,214 | 96.9% | 98.1% |
| Fordham University | 168 | $79,248 | 90.8% | 85.5% |
| Cardozo School of Law, Yeshiva University | 165 | $76,458 | 87.8% | 89.1% |
| St. John's University | 164 | $76,742 | 87.5% | 90.4% |
| Brooklyn Law School | 161 | $76,946 | 85.5% | 84.6% |
| Albany Law School | 158 | $64,234 | 86.7% | 88.5% |
| Syracuse University | 158 | $66,940 | 84.8% | 71.2% |
| Hofstra University | 157 | $74,860 | 79.2% | 86.3% |
| New York Law School | 157 | $73,524 | 86.5% | 74.8% |
| University at Buffalo | 157 | $29,750 | 88.5% | 91.2% |
| City University of New York | 155 | $16,013 | 69% | 73.4% |
| Pace University | 154 | $57,756 | 65.2% | 80.8% |
| Touro University | 153 | $62,150 | 67.9% | 75.2% |
More on each, and on the New York bar exam: law schools in New York.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Cornell University's, so an applicant who fits here is likely to be a similar fit there. Compare what each costs and how its graduates fare.
| School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Cornell University | 173 | 3.92 | $85,412 | 93.7% | 99.5% |
| Columbia University New York, NY | 173 | 3.92 | $88,390 | 94.7% | 96.5% |
| New York University New York, NY | 172 | 3.92 | $87,214 | 96.9% | 98.1% |
| University of Pennsylvania Philadelphia, PA | 173 | 3.95 | $84,492 | 94.4% | 97.2% |
| Northwestern University Chicago, IL | 173 | 3.96 | $80,633 | 91.8% | 92% |
| Stanford University Stanford, CA | 173 | 3.96 | $79,707 | 99.4% | 86.8% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Cornell Law School?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 173, with the middle half scoring 168 to 175. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.92. The school accepted 18.2% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Cornell Law School?
93.7% of Cornell University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 85.8%. Within two years of graduating, 98.2% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Cornell Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $85,412 a year. Most students pay less: 91% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $30,000.
Do Cornell Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 99.5% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 0% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 0% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Cornell Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. Cornell Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1923, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.