Admission rates differ noticeably by race and ethnicity but to a lesser extent by gender, according to the latest update to the AccessLex Institutes’ Legal Education Data Deck.
Tiffane Cochran, AccessLex’s vice president of research, said the latest data deck reflects the trends in legal education.
“The data deck serves a dual purpose of informing the public of key trends in legal education while also providing evidence to support AccessLex Institute’s ongoing work to improve access, affordability and value in legal education,” Cochran said. “The latest updates to the publication underscore the need for continued effort in these areas while strengthening our resolve to address them.”
Notable updates include the following:
In 2024, 79% of White law school applicants received at least one offer of admission compared to 45% of Black applicants. Meanwhile, 68% of female applicants were admitted compared to 72% of male applicants.
While more than 40% of White and Asian applicants attain LSAT scores of 160 or higher, less than 20% of Black, Hispanic and American Indian or Alaska Native applicants do the same.
Black and Hispanic students withdraw from law school at disproportionate rates compared to their White peers. These students comprised 22% of first-year enrollment in the entering class of 2023-24 and 33% of non-transfer attrition after the 1L year. In the same year, White students comprised 58% of the entering class and only 47% of non-transfer attrition.
Conditional scholarships, which offer greater access to law school but can be rescinded based on subsequent academic performance, are becoming increasingly rare. In 2023, 19% of all entering students received conditional scholarships. This represents the lowest share of all matriculants since 2011. Moreover, 29% of these scholarships were rescinded in 2023, the highest share since 2015. 
Financial aid awards also differ among groups. Black and Hispanic/Latine law students are awarded financial aid packages with a lower proportion of institutional grants than their White and Asian peers. Institutional grants comprise 11% of the average aid awarded to Black students and 16% of that awarded to Hispanic/Latine students, but 36% of aid awarded to White students.
The data deck is a living document that is updated periodically and is sourced from the Law School Admission Council, National Conference of Bar Examiners, National Association for Law Placement, American Bar Association Section of Legal Education and Admissions to the Bar, U.S. Department of Education and U.S. Department of Labor.
Review the updated data deck here.
