Law school applications in the U.S. are surging, according to Oct. 16 data from the Law School Admission Council. The numbers show a 27.8% increase in total applications for the 2025 enrollment year compared to last year. The rise is even more pronounced over a two-year span, with applications up 76.2%.
Female and male applicants both have notable gains, increasing 32.1% and 32.3%, respectively. Gender-diverse applicants grew by 19.8%, while the number of applicants who did not report their gender jumped 32.4%.
Ethnic diversity is also on the rise. The number of Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander grew 50%, Black or African American applicants increased 35.6%, Asian applicants grew 31.3%, Hispanic or Latino applicants rose 32.8% and Middle Eastern/North Africa rose 33.6%. First-generation college students applying to law school increased 36.8%, while non-first-generation applicants rose 30.6%.
Applicants with higher LSAT scores saw significant growth. The number of applicants scoring between 175 and 180 rose 35.5%, and those scoring 170 to 174 increased 22.8%. Even the lowest bracket, under 140, experienced a 29.3% increase, signaling a wider range of applicants entering the pool.
Regionally, most parts of the country have recorded growth in applicants. The Northwest leads with a 77% increase, followed by Mountain West at 47.5% and the Midwest at 37.5%.
Among U.S. law schools, 179 reported increases in application volume while 11 saw decreases and five law schools saw no change.
Sudha Setty, president and CEO of AALS, said there was a significant increase in test takers with the January 2024 administration of the LSAT and interest in law school has continued to grow.
“While it is still early in this new cycle, we are seeing even larger numbers of test takers than last year,” Setty said. “According to our research, the number one reason people pursue legal education is to make a difference and applicants have identified other factors as well, such as the economic and political environment, and that this is the right time for them to seek new or enhanced professional opportunities.”
