The current volume summary of admitted applicants by race/ethnicity and sex is available below.
- These data display Academic Year. Academic year reflects the law school enrollment year. For example, academic year 2017 or 2017–2018 would indicate the academic year beginning in fall 2017 and extending into spring 2018
- Data starting in 2016 include applicants for all terms and do not include deferrals. Deferrals are defined as “applicants admitted for a prior term who were granted a postponed enrollment to the current term.”
- Racial/ethnic data incorporate maximum reporting, which means that candidates may select multiple races/ethnicities. All selections are counted in each racial/ethnic group. As a result of this overlap, summing the racial/ethnic category totals will yield a larger number than is represented by the “All” group total.
- These data reflect final end-of-year counts of admitted applicants to ABA-approved law schools.
- “All” admitted applicants are rounded to the nearest hundred. All other volumes are rounded to the nearest ten.
Summary of Admitted Applicants (All Terms)
| Admitted Applicants | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| All | Count | 42,800 | 42,300 | 44,000 |
| Percent change from prior year | -1.3% | 4.2% | ||
Race/Ethnicity of Admitted Applicants
(All Terms)
| Race/Ethnicity | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| American Indian/ Alaska Native |
Count | 900 | 860 | 870 |
| Percent change from prior year | -4.5% | 1.5% | ||
| Asian | Count | 4,380 | 4,380 | 4,620 |
| Percent change from prior year | -0.2% | 5.6% | ||
| Black/African American | Count | 4,590 | 4,320 | 4,380 |
| Percent change from prior year | -5.8% | 1.3% | ||
| Caucasian/White | Count | 28,860 | 29,120 | 30,680 |
| Percent change from prior year | 0.9% | 5.4% | ||
| Hispanic/Latino | Count | 5,000 | 4,950 | 5,080 |
| Percent change from prior year | -1.1% | 2.7% | ||
| Native Hawaiian/ Other Pacific Islander |
Count | 180 | 180 | 190 |
| Percent change from prior year | -2.2% | 9.0% | ||
| Puerto Rican | Count | 1,120 | 1,030 | 1,140 |
| Percent change from prior year | -8.1% | 10.3% | ||
Sex of Admitted Applicants (All Terms)
| Sex | 2016 | 2017 | 2018 | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Female | Count | 21,840 | 21,870 | 23,090 |
| Percent change from prior year | 0.1% | 5.6% | ||
| Male | Count | 20,780 | 20,190 | 20,670 |
| Percent change from prior year | -2.9% | 2.4% | ||
| Declined to Respond | Count | 190 | 210 | 280 |
| Percent change from prior year | 8.8% | 33.3% | ||
Older Data
The Admitted Applicants by Race/Ethnicity & Sex archives include data for 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, and 2015.
Admitted Applicants by Race/Ethnicity Archives
Due to significant changes in data collection methods, race/ethnicity data collected after 2009 are not directly comparable to prior data.
View Archived Race/Ethnicity Data: 2010–2015
View Archived Race/Ethnicity Data: 2001–2009