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Harvard Law School : Ranking, Fees, Courses, Requirements

Dark Clock Icon Last updated on 3 Dec '24, by Loveleen Sharma (Study Abroad Expert)

Harvard University Law
What’s new?

The Harvard Law School Graduate courses application deadlines are as follows:

  • JD (Jury Doctor) Program Round 1: Jan 6, 2025
  • JD (Jury Doctor) Program Round 2: Feb 10, 2025
  • JD (Jury Doctor) Program Round 3: Mar 17, 2025
  • VS/VR Program for Fall 2025: Apr 15, 2025
  • J.D. Program (2025-26): Apr 1, 2025

About Harvard Law School

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Commonly asked questions
On About Law

Q:   Why is Harvard Law School so famous?

A: 

Harvard Law School is under the Umbrella of Harvard University which holds an Ivy League status. This Law School is famous for the Return on investment which is significant, and the status a student receives after the completion of their educational journey. The HLS placement rate stands at 97.3% with an average annual package of USD 215,000 in top Law firms of the US.

Moreover, Harvard Law School is located near Boston City making it accessible for the HLS students to build professional connections and take up internships and clerkships. According to the US world and news ranking body, the Harvard University Law courses are ranked #4 among the best 196 Law schools around the world.

Q:   Is it hard to get admission to Harvard Law School?

A: 

The Law courses at Harvard University are ranked at #4 by the US World and News. The students from all over the world apply to these courses due to the state-of-the-art curriculum, high employability, and internships & clerkships provided by the school. The Harvard Law School acceptance rate stands at 11% for its JD program. The low acceptance rate suggests that out of every 100 applicants, only 11 students are rolled out an offer letter. It is hard to get Harvard Law School.

Although with right preparation, the students can bag their offer letter. Below are some basic requirements as an Indian student:

·         A four years Bachelor's Degree from Accredited university

·         Scanned copies of all the Academic Records

·         An online application done through Law School Admissions Council (LSAC)

·         Letters of recommendation (Submit at least 1

·         Essay

·         Standardized entrance test scores (LSAT/GRE)

Q:   Is Harvard Law School expensive?

A: 

Yes, Harvard Law School can be perceived as an expensive school because the tuition can range between USD 73,400 (INR 61 L) to USD 77,100 (INR 65 L). The HLS JD program can cost a student USD 77,100 (INR 65 L) for the first year without including the other expenses such as accommodation, living expenses etc. The School provides some financial relief to the students by providing them with scholarships.

Below is the table mentioning a standard students budget for most of the Harvard Law courses:

HLS Standard Budget First year tuition fee (2024-25)

Amount

Tuition

USD 77,100 (INR 64 L)   

Health Insurance and Health Services Fees

USD 5,794 (INR 4.8 L)

Activities Fee

USD 400 (INR 33.7 K)

Housing

USD 18,000 (INR 15.1 L)

Food

USD 6,131 (INR 5.16 L)

Personal Expenses

USD 5,650 (INR 4.76 L)

Books and Supplies

USD 1,675 (INR 1.41 L)

Travel

USD 1,750 (INR 1.47 L)

Total Expenses

USD 116,500 (INR 98.2 L)

(USD 1 = INR 84.30)

Harvard Law School Courses and Fees 2025

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Courses1st Year Tuition FeesDuration & Eligibility
LL.M.(1 course)
INR 65 L
Duration1 year
Exam AcceptedTOEFL: 100 & Above
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Commonly asked questions
On Fees and Eligibility

Q:   What courses does Harvard Law School offer?

A: 

Harvard Law School offers a wide range of courses across various domains such as J.D. S.J.D. LL.M. etc. These courses are known for their in-depth curriculum which are focused on the real world implications and challenges. Harvard Law School offers more Law courses than any other Law School in the world. HLS does not offer part-time, distance, online, or summer programs.

Harvard Law School Graduate Degree Programs:

·         JD Program

·         LLM Program

·         SJD Program

Harvard Law School Joint Degree Programs:

·         Joint Degree Program in Law and Business

·         Joint Degree Program in law and Government

·         Joint Degree Program in Law and Public Health

·         Joint Degree Program in Law and Urban Planning

·         Coordinated JD/PhD Program

·         Harvard Law School and University of Cambridge JD/LLM Joint Degree Program

Q:   What is the duration of various courses at Harvard Law School?

A: 

The duration of Law courses at Harvard Law School vary depending upon the program. The Juris Doctor (JD) programme at Harvard lasts for 3 years which is a full-time program, new students start their studies in fall semester.

Master of Laws (LLM) by Harvard Law School is yet another popular program, which lasts for one year which typically includes 180 students from 65 different nations, the students start their studies in LLM programme in fall. It is a full-time programme where the students have to devote their time completely.

Q:   Is Harvard Law School expensive?

A: 

Yes, Harvard Law School can be perceived as an expensive school because the tuition can range between USD 73,400 (INR 61 L) to USD 77,100 (INR 65 L). The HLS JD program can cost a student USD 77,100 (INR 65 L) for the first year without including the other expenses such as accommodation, living expenses etc. The School provides some financial relief to the students by providing them with scholarships.

Below is the table mentioning a standard students budget for most of the Harvard Law courses:

HLS Standard Budget First year tuition fee (2024-25)

Amount

Tuition

USD 77,100 (INR 64 L)   

Health Insurance and Health Services Fees

USD 5,794 (INR 4.8 L)

Activities Fee

USD 400 (INR 33.7 K)

Housing

USD 18,000 (INR 15.1 L)

Food

USD 6,131 (INR 5.16 L)

Personal Expenses

USD 5,650 (INR 4.76 L)

Books and Supplies

USD 1,675 (INR 1.41 L)

Travel

USD 1,750 (INR 1.47 L)

Total Expenses

USD 116,500 (INR 98.2 L)

(USD 1 = INR 84.30)

Harvard University Law
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Harvard Law School Rankings 2025

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Commonly asked questions
On Rankings

Q:   How prestigious is Harvard Law School?

A: 

Harvard Law School is under the umbrella of Harvard University which is among the prestigious group of Ivy League.

Harvard Law School is ranked at #4 by the US News and World Ranking body 2024 among the best 196 Law schools of the world. HLS Law graduates are known for their calibre in understanding the Legal implications and country laws. QS World ranking body has ranked HLS at #1 with a score of 99.7 %.

The HLS Placement rate for the class 2023 stands at 97% (within 10 months of graduation) with the average median salary of USD 215,000 (INR 1.81 Cr.) at Law firms.

Q:   What is Harvard Law School ranked?

A: 

Harvard Law School being the Law School of Harvard University which is also a part of the elite educational group 'the Ivy League'. According to the US World and News rankings body in 2024, HLS is a ranked at #4 in the list of the best 196 Law schools around the world. 

According to the QS World ranking 2024, the Law courses offered by Harvard University are ranked at number 1 with an overall score of 96.8 out of 100 based on the factors like academic reputation, citations per faculty, employment outcomes, employer reputation, faculty student ratio etc.

THE (Times Higher Education) 2024, gave the Law Courses of Harvard University a ranking of #1.

Below table which mentions the rankings of the Law course specialities according to US World and News ranking 2024:

Harvard Law School Speciality Rankings

Rank

Business/Corporate Law

2

Clinical Training

16

Constitutional Law

1

Contracts/Commercial Law

2

Criminal Law

2

Dispute Resolution

3

Environmental Law

10

Health Care Law

7

Intellectual Property Law

12

International Law

2

Legal Writing

132

Tax Law

10

Trial Advocacy

36

Q:   Should I go to Yale Law School or Harvard Law School?

A: 

While both the universities are considered two of the best in the entire world, Harvard enjoys the location of Cambridge, Massachusetts which has close proximity to Boston where the Law students have better access to internships and clerkships, on the other hand Yale Law School is situated at New Haven which makes it a bit isolated Law School, away from a lot of important Law universities.

According to the rankings released by the US World and News 2024, the Law studies offered by Harvard University under HLS are ranked #4 among the top 196 Law schools in the world, for Yale University, this ranking is #1.

The table compares these two best Business schools in depth:

Criteria

Harvard Law School 

Yale Law School

Location

Cambridge, Massachusetts

New Haven

Average Starting Salary

USD 215,000 (INR 1.47 Cr)

USD 210,000 (1.47 Cr)

Acceptance Rate (Class 2026)

8.07%

11.8%

First-Year Tuition (MBA)

USD 77,100 (INR 74.6 L)

USD 71,540 (INR 71.6 L)

Top Job Sectors Hiring

65% of all Yale Law graduates 2023 started their careers at Law firms

55% of all Yale Law graduates 2023 started their careers at Law firms

Ranking (US World and News 2024)

#4

#1

Placement Rate (2023) within 10 months after graduation

97.3%

98%

(USD 1 = INR 84.30)

View Ranking DetailsRight Arrow Icon

Harvard Law School Admission Dates 2025

Harvard Law School Admissions Requirements 2025

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Commonly asked questions
On Admission Requirements

Q:   Can Indians apply for admission to Harvard Law School?

A: 

Students from all over the world apply to HLS. The Harvard Law School applications are open for Indian students, although there are certain requirements that an Indian student has to meet.

Below mentioned are the documents and exam requirements an Indian student has to meet to apply to HLS Law programs:

Harvard Law School JD Requirements as an International student:

·         A four years Bachelor's Degree from Accredited university

·         Scanned copies of all the Academic Records

·         An online application done through Law School Admissions Council (LSAC)

·         Letters of recommendation (Submit at least 1

·         Essay

·         Standardized entrance test scores (LSAT/GRE)

Q:   What GPA do I need for admission to Harvard Law School?

A: 

Harvard Law School follows a strict approach in selecting the best candidates out of a large pool of applications. To stay competitive and relevant till the end of the HLS application process can be tough for many. The students are required to show great academic scores and extra-curricular activities and such. The JD Class 2027, 50% of the students had a GPA of 3.95.

Other than the GPA, the table below shows the average scores for other requirements:

HLS Requirements

HLS JD class 2027 Average scores

Average LSAT Score (Class 2027)

174

Average GRE Quant Score (Class 2027)

167

Average GRE Verbal Score (Class 2027)

165

Average GPA (J.D. Class 2027)

3.95 on a scale of 4.0

Q:   What is the entrance exam for Harvard Law School?

A: 

Out of a large amount of applications, Harvard Law School tries to select the best candidates for their Law programs. To apply for Harvard Law School, international students have to take an entrance exam. The students can either take GRE or the Law schools admissions test (LSAT).

Both the previously mentioned exams are valid, and the school says, that it does make it an advantage if the students take both the exams.

The table below shows the average scores for other requirements:

HLS Requirements

HLS JD class 2027 Average scores

Average LSAT Score (Class 2027)

174

Average GRE Quant Score (Class 2027)

167

Average GRE Verbal Score (Class 2027)

165

Average GPA (J.D. Class 2027)

3.95 on a scale of 4.0

 

Harvard Law School Placements

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Commonly asked questions
On Placements

Q:   What is the highest package offered at Harvard Law School?

A: 

According to the employment data 2023 published by Harvard Law School, the top industry where the HLS graduates are getting the highest package is Law firms job sector which is USD 215,000 (INR 1.81 Cr).

Here is the table showing top Salaries of Full-time Employed Graduates by Job Sector:

Harvard Law School  MBA Graduates' Top Job Sectors (Class 2023)

Average Median Salary of HLS MBA graduate (2023)

Law Firm

USD 215,000 (INR 1.81 Cr)

Judicial Clerkship

USD 70,005 (INR 59 L)

Business & Industry

USD 191,000 (INR  (INR 1.61 Cr)

Government

USD 74,975 (INR 63.2 L)

Public Interest

USD 65,000 (INR 54.8 L)

Education

USD 66,500 (INR 56 L)

(USD 1 = INR 84.30)

Q:   How much do Harvard lawyers earn?

A: 

Harvard Law School is well renowned for its state-of-the-art learning infrastructure, high quality graduates, and faculty to students' ratio. The HLS graduates are able to secure placement at Law firms as Lawyers with a median basic salary of USD 215,000 (INR 1.81 Cr).

According to Glass door, the lawyers who graduated from Harvard are able to get USD 100,000 (INR 84 L) a year to USD 200,000 (INR 1.68 Cr) a year.

Q:   Where do most Harvard Law School graduates work?

A: 

The Harvard Law School graduates go on to take up diverse roles and positions over the span of their careers. According to the Harvard Law School employment report 2023, 372 graduates got placed at Law firms followed by 81 students going into Judicial Clerkships.

Harvard Law School  MBA Graduates' Top Industries (Class 2023)

No. of HLS Graduates 

Law Firm

372

Judicial Clerkship

81

Business & Industry

10

Government

20

Public Interest

54

Education

4

 

Below is the table mentioning the HLS graduates with various locations:

Locations

Employed HLS Graduates

New York

193

District of Columbia

96

California

75

Employed in Foreign Countries

10

 

Harvard Law School or Yale Law School: Which is better?

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Harvard Law School Campus Life

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Commonly asked questions
On Campus Life

Q:   Do Harvard Law School students live on campus?

A: 

More than 1/3 of the HLS students live on-campus making the on-house campus a popular choice. The students can apply for the on-campus housing at Harvard via the official portal.

The HLS has residential building of different styles with variation in the cost:

·         Dormitory-Style Residential Rooms: Academic year cost for Dormitory Standard Single room is USD 8,361 (INR 7.06 L).

·         Apartment-Style Rooms: Academic year cost for Single Large Studio Apartment is USD 23,148 (INR 19.5 L).

There are other kinds of room and apartment types too, the students are suggested to keep their budget in mind while selecting these on-campus accommodation options.

A few details:

·         67% of the HLS student body lives off campus

·         86% of HLS students living off campus live in private off campus housing

·         14% of HLS students living off campus live in Harvard University Housing

The average monthly rent paid by an HLS student in 2015 was USD 1,500 (INR 1.26 L). 

(USD 1 = INR 84.30)

Q:   How is the life at Harvard Law School?

A: 

Harvard University is known for its quality of life, and the students say that they live a great life at this university. There are more than 200 student led organisations available, 17 student journals, unparalleled libraries, acclaimed museums and theatres, communities, enriching extracurricular activities.

There are on-campus and off-campus housing options available for the Harvard Law students.

·         67% of the HLS student body lives off campus

·         86% of HLS students living off campus live in private off campus housing

·         14% of HLS students living off campus live in Harvard University Housing

·         The average monthly rent paid by an HLS student in 2015 was USD 1,500 (INR 1.26 L)

 

Harvard Law School Notable Alumni

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Harvard University

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Answered a week ago

Although it is not a guarantee, Harvard University does employ its own PhD grads as faculty. Faculty selection is influenced by a number of factors, and the university's employment process is quite competitive.

Harvard's Graduate School of & Sciences, for example, offers a strong PhD programme that o

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Rashi Satwani

Contributor-Level 7

Answered a week ago

During your four years at Harvard, you are not required to reside on campus. Students have a variety of housing alternatives even though Harvard encourages on-campus living, particularly during the first year of undergraduate education.

This is a summary:

1. The majority of the 17 freshmen housing hal

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Rashi Satwani

Contributor-Level 7

Answered 2 weeks ago

Harvard University is very selective and highly competitive for any course so candidates need to score very high in academics and must have extra curriculars to show as part of their profile. Students who wish to take admission at Harvard must fulfill the basic eligibility including a bachelor's deg

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Subhrajeet Harichandan

Contributor-Level 9

Answered 2 weeks ago

Yes, it is difficult for international students to get admission at Harvard University because of its high acceptance rate. Harvard University acceptance rate is 3.41%, which means the admissions are moderatly competative. The university is highly selective and the chances of getting admitted increa

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Subhrajeet Harichandan

Contributor-Level 9

Answered 5 days ago

The cost to study at Harvard University in Indian rupees depends on the course level and program: 

Course level Annual tuition fee
Undergraduate  INR 49.78 L–51.97 L
Postgraduate INR 16.76 L–64.97 L
MBA INR 37,24,228 for one year
Harvard offers need-based fellowships to almost 50% of its students each ye

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Manish Jaiswal

Contributor-Level 9

About the author

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Loveleen Sharma

Study Abroad Expert

Loveleen is a seasoned content writer with 4+ years of experience, currently writing for Shiksha. When he is not writing and helping students, he can be found at the movies, reading fiction, and learning a new language.

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