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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 3/19/24
If you’re considering attending ASU Law School, this guide is for you! In it, we’ll cover the ASU Law School acceptance rate, admission stats and requirements, important deadlines, and more!
ASU’s College of Law, also known as the Sandra Day O’Connor College of Law, consistently ranks as a top law school in the nation. Named after the first female Supreme Court Justice, ASU Law encourages its students to participate in public service and engage with the wider legal community.
If you share Sandra Day O’Connor’s passion for civil education and engagement work, then ASU Law could be the perfect place for you to begin your own trailblazing legal career!
ASU Law School is a competitive school that ranks #36 in the nation and only accepts 22.05% of its applicants.
For more admissions information, take a look at this table detailing ASU Law’s acceptance rates from the past few years:
Source: ABA Required Disclosures
With an acceptance rate of 22.05%, ASU Law is competitive to get into. To increase your chances of admission, you’ll need to put together a stellar application and achieve a high GPA and LSAT score. For the best strategies, get in touch with an admissions counselor at Juris.
Arizona State University Law School offers a variety of degrees for students to pursue. With over 250 courses offered every year, your options are endless! Take a look at the details below:
Source: ASU Law School
You can also pursue a JD degree as a foreign applicant through ASU Law’s JDAS, JD Transfer, and JD Visiting Applicant programs.
ASU Law is ranked as the #1 Best Law School in Arizona. It has held this title for over a decade, since 2010. Take a look at their various other rankings:
ASU Law School's rankings, dedication to producing practice-ready graduates, and emphasis on interdisciplinary approaches make it a respected legal education institution!
So, what does it take to join this selective group of students who are accepted into ASU Law? Well, good scores are one important part of the equation!
According to ASU Law’s most recent class profile, the median LSAT score of the enrolled students was 165. The 25th-75th percentile range for a recent admissions cycle was 156-167.
Law schools rely heavily on LSAT scores to evaluate applicants' aptitude for legal studies and their potential for success in the rigorous academic environment. ASU considers high LSAT performance as a crucial component of a compelling application.
The ASU median LSAT score falls around the 88th percentile, meaning it will not be easy to achieve. To set yourself up for success, dedicate an appropriate amount of time to your LSAT studies, depending on your diagnostic score.
Create a comprehensive study schedule that you can commit to, and use reliable prep materials to learn key strategies that will help you boost your score.
According to the class profile, the median ASU Law GPA of enrolled students is 3.90, which is the standard GPA of successful applicants. The 25th-75th percentile range tends to be around 3.62-4.00.
Your undergraduate GPA will also give the admissions committee more insight into your potential to succeed in law school. Make sure to study hard and achieve a high GPA to increase your chances of getting into ASU Law. If you have a low GPA, you’ll need to put lots of effort into the rest of your application!
ASU Law’s admissions committee makes decisions based on various factors that extend beyond an applicant’s academics. Here is the complete application checklist for ASU Law School.
Required materials include the following:
To make your application stand out, you can also include the following optional materials:
Students have the option of submitting up to two letters of recommendation as part of their application. These letters should be written by professors who can attest to your potential to succeed in law school and the legal field.
To learn who you are beyond your academics, ASU Law School requires a two-page personal statement sharing any details you think will give the committee a more comprehensive picture of you and what you can contribute to their community.
Your statement should be compelling, show off your writing skills, highlight your specific interests in attending ASU Law, and share your reasons for pursuing law.
Here are some things you might consider to get you started:
ASU’s instructions are fairly open-ended, which gives you a lot of freedom in writing your statement. Spend some time reflecting on the experiences that have brought you to this point in your life and what your motivations are.
For inspiration, take a look at this law school statement example written for the University of Chicago:
“The turning point of my college football career came early in my third year. At the end of the second practice of the season, in ninety-five-degree heat, our head coach decided to condition the entire team. Sharp, excruciating pain shot down my legs as he summoned up repeatedly to the line to run wind sprints. I collapsed as I turned the corner on the final sprint. Muscle spasms spread throughout my body, and I briefly passed out. Severely dehydrated, I was rushed to the hospital and quickly given more than three liters of fluids intravenously. As I rested in a hospital recovery room, I realized my collapse on the field symbolized broader frustrations I felt playing college football.
I was mentally and physically defeated. In South Dakota, I was a dominant football player in high school, but at the Division I level, my talent was less conspicuous. In my first three years, I was convinced that obsessively training my body to run faster and be stronger would earn me a starting position. The conditioning drill that afternoon revealed the futility of my approach. I had thrust my energies into becoming a player I could never be. As a result, I lost confidence in my identity.
I considered other aspects of my life where my intellect, work ethic, and determination had produced positive results. I chose to study economics and English because processing abstract concepts and ideas in diverse disciplines were intuitively rewarding…Gathering data, reviewing previous literature, and ultimately offering my own contribution to economic knowledge was exhilarating. Indeed, undergraduate research affirmed my desire to attend law school, where I could more thoroughly satisfy my intellectual curiosity…My efforts generated high marks and praise from professors, but this success made my disappointment with football more pronounced.
The challenge of collegiate athletics felt insurmountable. However, I reminded myself that at the Division I level, I was able to compete with and against some of the best players in the country…After the hospital visit, my football position coach—sensing my mounting frustrations—offered some advice. Instead of devoting my energies almost exclusively to physical preparation, he said, I should approach college football with the same mental focus I brought to my academic studies. I began to devour scouting reports and to analyze the complex reasoning behind defensive philosophies and schemes. I studied film and discovered ways to anticipate plays from the offense and become a more effective player. Armed with renewed confidence, I finally earned a starting position in the beginning of my fourth year…
I had received the highest grade on the team. After three years of A’s in the classroom, I finally earned my first ‘A’ in football. I used mental preparation to maintain my competitive edge for the rest of the season. Through a combination of film study and willpower, I led my team and conference in tackles…The most rewarding part of the season, though, was what I learned about myself in the process. When I finally stopped struggling to become the player I thought I needed to be, I developed self-awareness and confidence in the person I was.
The image of me writhing in pain on the practice field sometimes slips back into my thoughts as I decide where to apply to law school. College football taught me to recognize my weaknesses and look for ways to overcome them. I will enter law school a much stronger person and student because of my experiences on the football field and in the classroom. My decision where to attend law school mirrors my decision where to play college football. I want to study law at the University of Chicago Law School because it provides the best combination of professors, students, and resources in the country. In Division I college football, I succeeded when I took advantage of my opportunities. I hope the University of Chicago will give me an opportunity to succeed again.”
This personal statement is great because it tells a tight, cohesive story. The writer opens with a vivid description that transitions smoothly into some vulnerable reflections about his frustrations and difficulties regarding his self-image.
He describes how he overcame his obstacles and subtly points out some important strengths—determination, ambition, and willpower— that the admissions committee may not have known about elsewhere in his application. He also ends with a callback to the beginning of his statement while still pointing toward his future at UChicago.
Arizona State University is committed to inclusive excellence and diversity in its community. As such, you may submit an optional diversity statement discussing the unique perspectives and experiences you would contribute to ASU. Consider your culture, background, and upbringing when answering this prompt.
The ASU Law cost of tuition is $29,037 for Arizona residents and $51,359 for non-residents. This makes the cost of attending ASU Law among the lowest of all accredited law schools in the nation.
Here’s a breakdown of the estimated expenses entering JD students can expect to pay:
Source: ASU Law School
ASU Law makes tuition even more affordable by offering various financial aid options. They consider all incoming students for extensive merit-based scholarships and give them the opportunity to apply for other scholarships once enrolled.
The final deadline to apply to ASU Law School is July 31. However, since ASU Law accepts students on a rolling basis, you are highly encouraged to submit your application as soon as possible. Students hoping to submit binding applications are required to do so before the priority deadline.
As you gather your application materials and get ready to send your application to ASU, keep these important application dates in mind:
Source: ASU Law
In regard to the decision period, the admissions committee aims to provide a decision within 15 business days of receiving your complete application. However, this time period will increase the closer it gets to the priority deadline and does not apply to applications received past this deadline.
Like most law schools, students must apply to ASU through LSAC. This system streamlines the application process to make it easier for you to apply to multiple schools! Once you’ve made your account and are ready to begin the application process, simply select ASU Law School as one of the schools you’d like to apply to.
Be sure to pay attention to important application dates so that you can arrange to take the LSAT at the proper time to apply punctually.
ASU Law’s first-time bar passage rate is 86.55%, indicating they prepare their students well for the legal field! This passage rate is over 7% higher than the state average rate of 79.18%.
If you’re intimidated by the process of applying to law school, don’t stress. Here are some tips to help you create a stellar application for ASU Law!
ASU Law seeks applicants with strong academic records, LSAT or JD-Next scores, and a demonstrated commitment to public service. The admissions committee considers factors such as work and leadership experience, extracurricular activities, overcoming disadvantages, diversity of background, communication skills, and honors and awards.
ASU Law requires applicants to apply online through LSAC and is committed to enrolling a dynamic group of individuals to provide an engaging learning environment.
Below, you’ll find the answers to any remaining questions about ASU Law School.
Yes, ASU has an excellent law school. According to U.S. News & World Report, the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is ranked as the 36th best law school in the United States.
To be a competitive applicant for ASU Law, you should aim for an LSAT score of 165 or higher. For the entering 2024 class, the median LSAT score was 165, with the 25th percentile at 156 and the 75th percentile at 167.
Getting into ASU Law is challenging due to its competitive admissions process. Successful applicants typically have a strong academic record, impressive LSAT scores, and well-rounded experiences.
ASU Law School offers a supportive and collaborative community where students can thrive academically and professionally.
If you’re considering it as one of your top contenders, ensure you achieve competitive scores, demonstrate your commitment to the law, and show your dedication to making an impact on the world—just like O’Connor!
Reviewed by:
Former Head of Northeastern University's Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University
