5 Videos,
Yale Law School - Ranking, Courses, Fees, Admission Requirements
- Private University
1075 acre campus- Estd. 1701
Talk to Expert
Last updated on 26 Nov '25Yale University LawWhat's new?
The Yale Law School application deadlines for 2025-25 are as follows:
Juris Doctor (JD) Program (Class of 2029):
-
Application Opens: September 1, 2025
-
Application Deadline: February 15, 2026
-
Standardized Tests:
-
LSAT: Must be taken no later than January 2026
-
GRE: Scores must be received by February 15, 2026
-
Master of Laws (LL.M.) Program (2026–2027 Academic Year):
-
Application Opens: August 15, 2025
-
Application Deadline: December 1, 2025
-
Decision Notification: Typically by mid-March 2026
- About Yale Law School
- Yale Law School Courses and Fees 2025
- Yale University Law Popular Courses
- Yale University Law Popular Programs
- Yale Law School Rankings 2025
- Yale Law School Admissions Dates 2025
- Yale Law School Admission Requirements 2025
- Yale Law School Placements 2025
- Yale Law School or Harvard Law School: Which is better?
- Yale Law School Campus Life
- Yale Law School Notable Alumni
- Yale University Law Students reviews
About Yale Law School
Established in 1824, Yale Law School is Law School of Yale University which is a private university in New Haven, Connecticut. Yale Law School provides 192 courses, including J.D., J.S.D., LL.M., M.S.L. Ph.D. Joint Degree, etc. Yale Law School acceptance rate is 5.25% which shows it is diffficult to get into the university.
With an extreme focus on high employability skills, according to American Bar Association, 99% of Yale School graduates were able to pass Bar exam. Yale Law School placement rate is 95.3%. Yale Law School under Yale University is ranked #1 among the best Law schools worldwide, according to US World and News Rankings 2025.
Yale University has 4 main campus areas- Central Campus, Athletic Fields area, Medical Campus and Yale West Campus. Law courses are offered at Central Campus of the university.
Things to Know about Yale Law School
Here are some more highlights for Yale Law School:
|
Yale Law School (JD) |
Validation |
|---|---|
|
Acceptance Rate (J.D. Class 2024) |
5.25% |
|
US World and News Ranking (2025) |
#1 |
|
Known for |
Jury Doctor, Constitutional Studies, Innovative curriculum |
|
J.D. (Jury Doctor) Class Size (2027) |
204 |
|
Placement Rate |
95.3% |
|
Average Package after graduating |
USD 204,668 |
|
Average LSAT Score (Class 2027) |
174 (range 170-177) |
|
Average GRE Quant Score (Class 2027) |
163 |
|
Average GRE Verbal Score (Class 2027) |
167 |
|
Average GPA (J.D. Class 2027) |
3.96 |
(USD 1 = INR 89.21)
|
Diversity and Enrolment Breakdown Class 2026 |
Data |
|---|---|
|
Women |
56% |
|
Countries represented (Lived or worked) |
78 |
|
LGBTQ+ |
22% |
|
Students of Colour |
50% |
|
First Generation/Low-income college students |
24% |
History
Yale Law School is one of the oldest Law Schools in USA and is still in operation. The school started its operations in the 1800s when Seth P. Staples began training lawyers in his New Haven law office. School got affiliated with Yale in mid-1820s and students started receiving Yale degrees in 1843.
Commonly asked questions On About Law
Yale Law School follows strict approach in selecting the best candidates. To stay competitive till the end of YLS application process can be tough for many. Students are required to show great academic scores and extra-curricular activities. JD Class 2027, 50% of the students had GPA of 3.96.
Other than GPA, table below shows average scores for other requirements:
Yale Law School Admission Requirements | YLS JD class 2027 Average scores |
Average LSAT Score (Class 2027) | 174 with a range of 155 to 180 |
Average GRE Quant Score (Class 2027) | 163 |
Average GRE Verbal Score (Class 2027) | 167 |
Average GPA (J.D. Class 2027) | 3.96 |
The recent employment report by Yale Law School is released for the year 2024, where its Law graduates were given placement in top Law firms. Yale law School gave 215 graduates in the year 2024, out of which 215 students were able to secure placements which gives us a Yale Law School placement rate of 95.3%.
Yale Univeristy is Ivy League University. Yale Law School being Law School of Yale University which is also a part of the elite educational group 'the Ivy League'. According to the US World and News rankings body in 2025, YLS is a ranked at #1 tying with Stanford Law School in the list of the best 196 Law schools around the world.
Yale Law School Courses and Fees 2025
Yale Law School provide many courses in various domains which include J.D., J.S.D., LL.M. M.S.L. Ph.D. Joint Degree etc. with 350 research assistant opportunities.
Yale Law School Graduate Degrees:
- Juris Doctor (JD) Degree
- Master of Laws (LLM) Degree
- Doctor of the Science of Law (JSD) Degree
- Master of Studies in Law (MSL) degree
- Doctor of Philosophy of Law (PhD) Degree
- Joint Degrees
Yale Law School Course Fees 2025
International students are required to pay tuition fees at Yale Law School to pursue Law courses. Yale Law School tuition fee for JD, LLM, MSL 2025-26 is USD 76,636 (INR 68.36 L). While JSD tuition fee is USD 29,946 (INR 26.71 L). Students are also required to pay an admin fee of USD 2,325 (INR 2.07 L). Yale Law School application fee is USD 85 (INR 7.5 K) for applying to the Law School Admission Council.
Cost of Living
Below mentioned table shows the living expenses for students while studying Law course at Yale University-
|
Basic Budget |
2025-2026 |
|---|---|
|
Housing, Meals, & Personal Expenses |
USD 23,480 (INR 20.94 L) |
|
Books |
USD 1,300 (INR 1.15 L) |
|
University Hospitalization Coverage |
USD 3,422 (INR 3.05 L) |
|
Total |
USD 30,079 (INR 26.83 L) |
(USD 1 = INR 89.21)
| Courses | 1st Year Tuition Fees | Duration & Eligibility |
|---|---|---|
LL.M.(2 courses) | INR 45 L - 66 LGet Fee Details | Duration: 1 year-4 years Exam Accepted: TOEFL: 100 & Above, PTE, Duolingo |
Commonly asked questions On Fees and Eligibility
Law courses at Yale University are offered under Yale Law School. This Law School provides various courses including J.D., J.S.D., LL.M.S.L. Ph.D. Joint Degree etc. with 350 research assistant opportunities.
Yale Law School Graduate Degrees:
· Juris Doctor Degree
· Master of Laws Degree
· Doctor of the Science of Law Degree
· Master of Studies in Law degree
· Doctor of Philosophy of Law Degree
· Joint Degrees
Yale Law School provides various courses including J.D., J.S.D., LL.M.S.L. Ph.D. Joint Degree etc. and the duration to all of these schools vary.
The JD degree at Yale Law School takes 3 years to get completed. The LLM programme at this Law School is a Masters program, so it take 2 years.
International students are required to pay tuition fee to pursue Law courses. YLS tuition fee for 2025-26 is USD 76,636 (INR 68.36 L). Tuition fee can be expensive for international student however there are many Yale Law School scholarships available to help these students to cover the tuition and living expenses.
Yale University LawPopular Courses
1
Yale University LawPopular Programs
Yale Law School Rankings 2025
Yale Law School is Law School of Yale University which is part of ‘the Ivy League’. According to US World and News rankings 2025, YLS is ranked at #1. According to Times Higher Education 2025, Law courses by Yale University are ranked #9 based on factors like Teaching research environment, research quality, industry, faculty-student ratio, etc.
Below table which mentions rankings of Law course specialties according to US World and News ranking 2025:
|
Yale Law School Speciality Rankings |
Rank |
|---|---|
|
Constitutional Law |
#1 |
|
International Law |
#3 |
|
Contracts/Commercial Law |
#4 |
|
Business/Corporate Law |
#8 |
|
Clinical Training |
#8 |
| Criminal Law | #9 |
| Health Care Law | #12 |
| Tax Law | #15 |
| Environmental Law | #21 |
| Intellectual Property Law | #45 |
| Dispute Resolution | #86 |
| Trial Advocacy | #96 |
|
Legal Writing |
#107 |
Commonly asked questions On Rankings
Yale Law School being the Law School of Yale University which is also a part of the elite educational group 'the Ivy League'. According to the US World and News rankings body in 2025, YLS is a ranked at #1 tying with Stanford Law School in the list of the best 196 Law schools around the world.
According to THE Ranking 2025, Law courses by Yale University are ranked #9. Yale Law School is part of 'the Ivy League'. According to the US World and News rankings body in 2025, YLS is a ranked at #1 tying with Stanford Law School in the list of the best 196 Law schools around the world.
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 1.91 Cr) | USD 210,000 (1.87 Cr) |
Acceptance Rate (Class 2026) | 8.07% | 5.25% |
First-Year Tuition (MBA) | USD 80,760 (INR 72.04 L) | USD 76,636 (INR 68.36 L) |
Top Job Sectors Hiring | 65% of all Yale Law graduates in 2023 started their careers at Law firms | 55% of all Yale Law graduates in 2023 started their careers at Law firms |
Ranking (US World and News 2025) | #6 | #1 |
(USD 1 = INR 89.21)
Yale Law School Admissions Dates 2025
International students looking to take admission at Yale Law School are required to plan their admissions carefully, as there is an entrance test requirement. Juris Doctor and LLM courses are offered at this school. The studnets must take LSAT or the GRE which changes the schedule significantly.
Below are Yale Law School application deadlines with the entrance test dates:
| Program | Application Opens | Deadline | Test Deadline | Decision | Apply Via |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| J.D. (Class of 2029) | Sept 1, 2025 | Feb 15, 2026 | LSAT: Jan 2026 | Rolling / Spring 2026 | LSAC |
| GRE: Feb 15, 2026 | |||||
| LL.M. (2026–27) | Aug 15, 2025 | Dec 1, 2025 | N/A | Mid-March 2026 | Yale Law Site |
Yale Law School Admission Requirements 2025
Yale Law School acceptance rate of 4.5% meaning out of every 100 applications, only 4 to 5 are accepted making it an ambitious school to get into.
However, a student can get admission to this B-School by fulfilling the below-mentioned requirements:
Yale Law School JD Requirements as an International Student:
Yale Law School LLM admissions requirements as International student:
- First Law degree from foreign law school
- Englis scores (TOEFL)
- LORs
- Standardized tests (LSAT/GRE)
- SOP
- Certification of finances
- Essay
- CV
Yale Law School Admission Process 2025:
Step 1-Choose a program.
Step 2- Fill application form: Now go to LSAC website, navigate through common app to apply for program and fill out the required details.
Step 3-Pay application fee of USD 85 (INR 7.5 K) for the JD and LLM programs.
Step 4- Wait for a response
Step 5-Attend Interview: Yale Law School conducts interviews for JD Program but not for LLM program.
(USD 1 = INR 89.21)
Commonly asked questions On Admission Requirements
According to the official website of Yale Law School, the students aspiring to be a part of YLS programs, they should have a minimum GPA of 3.3 on a scale of 4.0. Other than the GPA requirements, the students are also expected to do well in other exams.
Refer to the tale below to know more of YLS application process requirements:
| YLS Exam Requirements | Yale Law School Class 2027 Average Scores |
|---|---|
Average LSAT Score (Class 2027) | 174 with a range of 155 to 180 |
Average GRE Quant Score (Class 2027) | 163 |
Average GRE Verbal Score (Class 2027) | 167 |
Average GPA (J.D. Class 2027) | 3.96 |
Students are expected to apply to YLS via LSAC with application fee of USD 85 and other requirements.
Yale Law School JD Requirements as International student:
· 4 years Bachelor's Degree
· Academic Records
· LOR
· Essay
· Standardized entrance scores (TOEFL)
· English language proficiency (IELTS/TOEFL)
Yale Law School LLM admissions requirements as International student:
· First Law degree from foreign law school
· English proficiency scores (TOEFL)
· LOR
· LSAT/GRE
· SOP
· Certification of finances
· Essay
· CV
Students must gather all the documents before filling the YLS online application.
Below mentioned are steps for applying to YLS-
Choose program.
Fill out the application form: Go to LSAC website and fill out required details.
Pay application fee: Students must pay application fee of USD 85.
Wait for a response
Attend Interview: Yale Law School conducts interviews for JD Program, but not for LLM program.
Yale Law School Placements 2025
Recent employment report by Yale Law School was released for 2024, where its Law graduates were given placement in top Law firms. Yale Law School gave 215 graduates in 2024, out of which 205 students were able to secure placements, giving us a Yale Law School placement rate of 95.3%. Out of YLS graduates, 501+ got placed in the top Law firms with average median package of USD 215,000 (INR 1.91 Cr.).
Here are highlights of placements of Yale Law School graduates class of 2024:
| Particulars | Data |
|---|---|
| Average Median Base Salary (Law Firms) | USD 215,000 (INR 1.91 Cr.) |
| Top Employers | Judiciary, Big Law Firms (501+ lawyers), Government |
| Total Graduates (Class of 2024) | 215 |
| Total Employed (as of March 2025) | 205 |
(USD 1 = INR 89.21)
Below are detailed Job Sectors in which Yale Law School graduates were placed after graduation:
| Yale Law Placement | Data |
|---|---|
| Law Firm Employment (All Sizes) | 86 (including 66 in 501+ size firms) |
| Clerkships – Federal | 56 |
| Clerkships – State, Local, Territorial | 4 |
| Clerkships – International | 2 |
| Public Interest Jobs | 34 |
| Government Jobs | 8 |
| Education Sector Jobs | 4 |
| Law School/University Funded Roles | 17 |
| Top Employment Locations | New York (68), DC (44), California (21) |
Read more: Yale Law School Employment Report
Commonly asked questions On Placements
Yale Law School graduates secure placements in top Law firms.
Yale Law School gave 215 graduates in the year 2024, out of which 205 students were able to secure placements, giving us a Yale Law School placement rate of 95.3%. Out of all YLS graduates, 501+ got placed in the top Law firms with an average median package of USD 215,000.
Yale Law School is part of 'the Ivy League'. According to US News rankings 2025, YLS is ranked #1 in the world.
YLS gave 224 graduates in 2023, out of which 220 students were able to secure placements which gives placement rate of 98.2%. Out of YLS graduates, 372 got placed in top Law firms with average median package of USD 204,668. YLS might be worth it as career opportunities after this Yale Law programs can be endless with good ROI.
Yale Law School or Harvard Law School: Which is better?
While both universities are considered two of the best in the entire world, Harvard enjoys the location of Cambridge, Massachusetts where Law students have better access to internships and clerkships, on the other hand, Yale Law School is in New Haven which makes it a bit isolated Law School, away from a lot of important Law universities.
According to US World and News Ranking 2025, Law studies offered by Harvard University under HLS are ranked #6 in the world, for Yale University, this ranking is #1.
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 1.91 Cr) |
USD 210,000 (1.87 Cr) |
|
Acceptance Rate (Class 2026) |
8.07% |
5.25% |
|
First-Year Tuition (MBA) |
USD 80,760 (INR 72.04 L) |
USD 76,636 (INR 68.36 L) |
|
Top Job Sectors Hiring |
65% of all Yale Law graduates in 2023 started their careers at Law firms |
55% of all Yale Law graduates in 2023 started their careers at Law firms |
|
Ranking (US World and News 2025) |
#6 |
#1 |
(USD 1 = INR 89.21)
Yale Law School Campus Life
Located in New Haven, Connecticut, Yale Law School takes pride in its rich cultural history. The Yale Law campus is in Sterling Law Building, which is the primary building of Law school. The students enjoy the location of the school as the city of New Haven has good weather.
Campus Life
There are over 70 student organizations, 9 student journals, and 17 Student affinity groups at Yale Law School. The university provides resources like health and safety, dining & recreation, additional resources, etc. Yale Law School students can enjoy the perfect dining experience at Yale’s Ruttenberg Dining Hall. The students are allowed to opt for off-campus housing at Yale Law.
Accommodation
There are many options ranging from historic beds & breakfasts to modern boutique hotels which are located within walking distance of Yale Law School:
- The Blake Hotel
- Graduate New Haven
- Hotel Marcel
- Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale
- The Study at Yale
- The Marriott Courtyard New Haven at Yale
- New Haven Hotel
- New Haven Village Suites
Commonly asked questions On Campus Life
Most of the Yale Law School students choose to live off-campus due to the convinience.
There are many options ranging from historic beds & breakfasts to modern boutique hotels, many of which are located within the walking distance of the Yale Law School:
- The Blake Hotel
- Graduate New Haven
- Hotel Marcel
- Omni New Haven Hotel at Yale
- The Study at Yale
- The Marriott Courtyard New Haven at Yale
- New Haven Hotel
- New Haven Village Suites
Located in New Haven, Connecticut, YLS takes pride in its rich cultural history. There are 70+ students organisations, 9 student's journals and 17 Student affinity groups at YLS. Students enjoy location of school as city of New Haven has good weather. University provides resources like health and safety, dining & recreation, additional resources etc. Yale Law School students can enjoy the perfect dining experience at Yale's Ruttenberg Dining hall. Students are allowed to opt for off-campus housing.
Notable alumni of Yale Law School are- President Gerald Ford, President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Chris Coons. Yale Law School is known for large network of 13K alumni scattered all over the world.
Yale Law School Notable Alumni | Professions of the Alumni |
|---|---|
Gerald Ford | 38th President of the United States |
Bill Clinton | 42nd President of the United States |
Herbert Brownell Jr. | 62nd U.S. Attorney General |
Homer Stille Cummings | 55th U.S. Attorney General |
Samuel Alito | Associate Justice, 2006 |
Yale Law School Notable Alumni
The Notable alumni of Yale Law School include President Gerald Ford, President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, and Senator Chris Coons. Yale Law School is known for its large network of 13,000 alumni scattered all over the world.
The table below shows the most notable alumni from Yale Law School:
|
Yale Law School Notable Alumni |
Professions of the Alumni |
Photos |
|---|---|---|
|
Gerald Ford |
38th President of the United States |
|
|
Bill Clinton |
42nd President of the United States |
|
|
Herbert Brownell Jr. |
62nd U.S. Attorney General |
|
|
Homer Stille Cummings |
55th U.S. Attorney General |
|
|
Samuel Alito |
Associate Justice, 2006 |
|
.jpg/220px-Gerald_Ford_presidential_portrait_(cropped).jpg)
Commonly asked questions On Alumni
Notable alumni of Yale Law School are- President Gerald Ford, President Bill Clinton, Secretary of State Hillary Clinton and Senator Chris Coons. Yale Law School is known for large network of 13K alumni scattered all over the world.
Yale University LawExplore Other Streams
(1) 1 person found this helpful
Yale University
Student Forum
Anything you would want to ask experts?Answered 2 days ago
The US World and News uses many parameters to check the Yale University rankings. Some of them are the average 6 year graduation rate, average first-year retention rate, student-faculty ratio, faculty members salaries rank and many others.
Look at these parameters with their weightage -
Yale University Ranking Criteria (US News) | Weightage |
|---|---|
Average 6-year graduation rate | 16% |
6-year graduation rate of students who received a Pell Grant | 5.5% |
6-year graduation rate of students who did not receive a Pell Grant | 5.5% |
Average first-year student retention rate | 5% |
Over performance (+)/Underperformance (-) | 10% |
Median federal loan debt for graduation borrowers | 5% |
College grads earning more than a HS grad | 5% |
Student-Faculty Ratio | 3% |
Faculty salaries rank | 6% |
Percent of faculty who are full-time | 2% |
M
Contributor-Level 9
Answered 4 days ago
Famous personalities who have studied at Yale Uni are George W. Bush, Jodie Foster, Hillary Clinton, Angela Bassett, Sara Gilbert, Isha Ambani, etc. Indra Nooyi hails from India. She was the Chairman and Chief Executive of PepsiCo from 2006-2018
G
Contributor-Level 10
Answered 2 days ago
As per the US News Rankings 2026, Yale University has earned top positions under various categories such as National Universities, Best Value Schools, Best Undergraduate Engineering Programs, etc. If we compare the 'National Universities Rankings',
Yale University ranks #4 in 2026 and showed a stab
B
Contributor-Level 8
Answered Yesterday
International students generally need a GPA of around 4.0 on a 4.0 scale. They should be in the top 10% of your class. Not only a good GPA, they would also have to meet the given admission requirements -
- English language proficiency (IELTS or TOEFL)
- Top notch essays, personal statement and extracurri
M
Contributor-Level 9
Answered Yesterday
It can be extremely competitive for Indian students to get into Yale University, as the acceptance rate stands at 4.6%. The students require more than just good grades. Given below are the exact Yale University entry requirements -
- Great extracurriculars which show leadership and passion
- Teacher's re
P
Contributor-Level 9
About the author
Yale University
Campus
Campus view
Aerial view
Yale University Popular & recent articles
Yale UniversityLocation
| University City | New Haven, Connecticut, USA |
| Size of city | Medium |
| Population of City | 1,29,934 |
Comments
(1)