TL;DR: UCLA Law received 8,928 applications for its JD Class of 2029 and enrolled 335 students, with a median LSAT of 171 (167 to 172) and a median GPA of 3.96 (3.77 to 4.01). For fall 2027, regular applications are due February 1, 2027 and the binding Early Decision priority deadline is November 16, 2026 (test by October 31, decisions by the end of December, no merit scholarships); UCLA accepts the LSAT or GRE with no preference, does not offer interviews as part of its standard process, and gives no preference to California residents.
Sources: UCLA School of Law J.D. admissions pages (First-Year J.D. Applicants, Early Decision Program, Class Profile, Admissions Policy, FAQ).
What UCLA Law School Actually Looks For
UCLA says it places substantial weight on grades and standardized test scores, then reads well beyond them. Its admissions policy names challenges overcome (economic, physical, or other), scholarly achievements such as graduate study, awards, and publications, the rigor of the undergraduate program, and letters of recommendation, and it places special emphasis on socioeconomic disadvantage. The committee also considers work experience and career achievement, community or public service, career goals, the ability to contribute to law school programs and specializations, leadership, language ability, and unusual life experiences. Residency brings no advantage: UCLA says it gives no preference to California residents and seeks a geographically diverse class, although 66% of the Class of 2029 are California residents.
UCLA Law School Acceptance Rate, GPA, and LSAT
UCLA publishes its class figures on its J.D. Class Profile and in its Standard 509 Information Report. The JD Class of 2029 (data as of August 12, 2026) drew 8,928 applicants and enrolled 335 students from 38 states, the District of Columbia, and five countries, with a median LSAT of 171 (a 25th to 75th percentile range of 167 to 172) and a median GPA of 3.96 (3.77 to 4.01); 9% majored in science, technology, engineering, or math, and 16% have no parent or guardian with a college degree. The profile does not list offers of admission, which appear in the 509 report. In the 2026 U.S. News law school ranking, UCLA tied for 13th, inside the top 14. We compile the figures for the top schools in our T14 GPA and LSAT medians guide.
| Fact | UCLA Law School |
|---|---|
| Degree | J.D., three years, full time only; no evening, summer, or part-time program |
| Ranking | Tied for 13th in the 2026 U.S. News law school ranking |
| Early options | Binding Early Decision (priority deadline November 16, 2026; no merit aid) and the binding, full-tuition Distinguished Scholars Award |
| Test policy | LSAT or GRE with no preference; regular decision test by January 31, 2027 |
| Class scale | 335 enrolled in the JD Class of 2029 |
The Los Angeles Argument: Market, Industry, Mission
The strong UCLA file makes a specific case for the school. UCLA describes itself as the youngest of the top law schools in the nation (it opened in 1949), offers seven J.D. specializations, and runs centers that give an interest somewhere to land: the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law, the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy, Critical Race Studies, and the Native Nations Law and Policy Center. At Oriel Admissions we advise picking the lane your record already supports and naming the program that serves it.
The career case is measurable. UCLA reports 323 employed graduates in its Class of 2025 salary statistics, 182 of them at firms of 501 or more attorneys, 43 in public interest, and 16 in judicial clerkships, with a median salary of $225,000. On the bar, 96% of UCLA graduates who took the July 2025 California Bar Exam for the first time passed, against a statewide average of 83.8% for first-time takers from ABA-approved California law schools.
Building the UCLA Law School Application
Oriel Admissions builds the UCLA file around its published requirements. The LSAT or GRE, taken by January 31, 2027 for regular decision (October 31, 2026 for Early Decision or the Distinguished Scholars Award); UCLA has no preference between them, generally considers the highest score while noting all of them, and requires all LSAT scores from the last five years if you took both tests. A CAS report with transcripts and, for LSAT takers, a writing sample. A personal statement of no more than two double-spaced pages on what bears on your ability to succeed in law school and the practice of law and on the distinctive contribution you would make. A current resume, exactly two letters of recommendation (at least one from someone familiar with your academic work, if possible), and the $75 fee. UCLA prohibits the use of artificial intelligence tools in completing the application and does not require a dean’s certification.
UCLA offers three special application paths with earlier deadlines. Binding Early Decision has a priority deadline of November 16, 2026, with the test taken by October 31 and decisions by the end of December; later Early Decision applications are allowed with a January 31 test date and rolling decisions. Early Decision admits receive no merit scholarships, only need-based aid, and must pay a seat deposit before knowing whether they qualify; UCLA says its Early Decision admit rate is similar to its overall rate, that the median LSAT of Early Decision admits is often slightly below the overall median, and that applicants may have a slight advantage from being evaluated in the smaller pool. The binding Distinguished Scholars Award (full tuition, same November 16 deadline, finalists interviewed) and the non-binding Achievement Fellowship (full tuition for applicants who have overcome significant obstacles, due December 15) cannot be combined with Early Decision. Regular decision applications are due February 1, 2027; UCLA says applying early will not significantly affect your odds, and most applicants hear by the end of April. Our T14 overview compares early options across the tier.
The Long Game: Your GPA Started Before You Ever Thought About Law School
Whatever the rankings do, the transcript math stays fixed. The CAS report summarizes every transcript into a year-by-year record and a cumulative GPA, UCLA places substantial weight on grades, and its policy lists the rigor of the undergraduate program among the factors it weighs. Send transcripts to LSAC without waiting for fall grades, and keep the record updated as new work is completed. For families planning earlier, the same logic runs back through high school: the habits that produce a protected college GPA are built before college starts.
Frequently Asked Questions About Getting Into UCLA Law School
UCLA reported a median LSAT of 171 for the JD Class of 2029, with a 25th to 75th percentile range of 167 to 172. UCLA generally considers your highest LSAT or GRE score while taking note of all scores, and the test must be taken by January 2027 for regular decision.
The JD Class of 2029 had a median GPA of 3.96, with a 25th to 75th percentile range of 3.77 to 4.01. UCLA places substantial weight on grades and also weighs the rigor of your undergraduate program.
Yes. UCLA accepts the LSAT or the GRE and says it has no preference between them. If you took both, you must submit all LSAT scores from the last five years and may choose whether to submit GRE scores; if you submit any GRE score, you must submit all GRE scores from the last five years.
Regular decision applications are due February 1, 2027, with the LSAT or GRE taken by January 31. The binding Early Decision priority deadline and the Distinguished Scholars deadline are both November 16, 2026, with testing by October 31, 2026. UCLA says applying early in the regular cycle will not significantly affect your odds.
In the 2026 U.S. News law school ranking, UCLA tied for 13th, which places it inside the top 14. The term T14 traditionally refers to a fixed group of schools that did not include UCLA, so the answer depends on whether you mean the current ranking or the traditional list.
UCLA describes itself as the youngest of the top law schools in the nation, founded in 1949. Its centers include the Ziffren Institute for Media, Entertainment, Technology and Sports Law, the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy, Critical Race Studies, and the Native Nations Law and Policy Center, and J.D. students can pursue seven specializations.
Yes. UCLA weighs challenges overcome, graduate study and other scholarly achievements, work experience and career achievement, community or public service, career goals, leadership, language ability, and unusual life experiences, and it places special emphasis on socioeconomic disadvantage.
For Oriel Admissions, the answer turns on your plan and your residency. All admitted students are considered for a scholarship in which merit and financial need can both count, most UCLA Law students qualify for resident tuition in their second and third years, and UCLA offers three full-tuition programs (the Distinguished Scholars Award, the Achievement Fellowship, and the Graton Scholarship). Early Decision admits, however, are not eligible for merit scholarships.
Sources: UCLA School of Law, First-Year J.D. Applicants, Early Decision Program, Full-Tuition Scholarships, J.D. Class Profile, J.D. Admissions Policy, J.D. Admissions FAQ, Centers, Programs and Institutes, and Post-Graduate Outcomes.
About Oriel Admissions
Oriel Admissions is a college admissions consulting firm advising families nationwide on elite university admissions strategy, with offices in Princeton, New Jersey and New York. Our strength is a deeply experienced team and a distinctive 360 approach that treats every part of the application (academics, testing, activities, essays, and interviews) as one connected strategy. To discuss your strategy, schedule a consultation.
