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Reviewed by:
Former Head of Pre-Law Office, Northeastern University, & Admissions Officer, Brown University
Reviewed: 10/26/23
Cardozo law school has a commitment to preparing its students to succeed at the highest levels in the legal profession. To learn more about Cardozo Law School’s acceptance rate and how you can maximize your chances of getting in, read on!
Named after the Associate Justice of the Supreme Court, Benjamin N. Cardozo, Cardozo Law School has structured its educational philosophy around his famous words, “the final cause of law is the welfare of society.”
With a welcoming and diverse community, unparalleled learning opportunities, and the most extensive field placements in society, Cardozo is dedicated to producing leading lawyers.
If you’d like to become one of Cardozo’s prosperous lawyers, this guide will go over everything you need to know about how to get into this law school, including important application deadlines, its cost of attendance, and more!
Cardozo Law School has an acceptance rate of 33.8%. In the 2023 application cycle, 3,414 students applied, and 1,154 were offered admission.
Let’s take a look at Cardozo’s acceptance rates over the years:
Getting into Cardozo Law School is moderately difficult. Only 3 of every 10 applicants are offered admission to this school.
Cardozo offers a range of programs to aspiring law students:
According to the 2023-2024 rankings, Cardozo Law is the 69th best law school. Its part-time program ranks significantly higher, as the fifth-best in the nation.
Given this acceptance rate, you may be curious about what it takes to distinguish yourself as an attractive applicant. Here's what you should aim for:
Cardozo Law’s average GPA is 3.76. The GPA of the 2023 admitted students ranged from 3.46-3.86.
There is no minimum Cardozo Law GPA, but applicants should aim for a 3.76 or higher to be considered competitive. Anything lower will decrease your chances of admission!
Cardozo Law School’s average LSAT score is 164. However, students admitted to the class of 2027 had LSAT scores as low as 159 and as high as 166.
Your Cardozo Law School LSAT score should fall within this range to be considered competitive. To ensure your scores reach the committee promptly, opt for an early test date. This will allow for on-time submission and provide you the flexibility to retake the LSAT if necessary.
Your Cardozo application will consist of various components, including:
The committee will see your scores and have a good understanding of your intellect and academic abilities. However, letters of recommendation will give them even more insight into your potential.
Cardozo requires you to submit two letters of recommendation with your application. At least one should come from a professor that you’ve built a close connection with. If you’ve been out of school for more than five years and cannot obtain a letter from a professor, employers, or other professional mentors can write your letters instead.
To assess who you are outside of your academic profile, Cardozo also requires you to submit a personal statement with your application. In two double-spaced pages, you should share anything you think will help the admissions committee make their decision.
This application material is essential to share more about yourself and prove your values align with Cardozo’s!
While Cardozo doesn’t have a particular question for you to answer in your essay, here are some prompts to guide you:
“I knew, without a doubt, that I was on the right path. It was in that pivotal moment, as I held my sister's sweaty hand and the doctor delivered the news that the PET scan had revealed the five grape-sized tumors were gone, that the course of my life seemed clear. Medicine was my calling, I believed. The idea of curing cancer and witnessing the immense relief that had washed over my sister's face had me convinced.
But life has a way of steering you towards your true purpose. It wasn't until my first year of my pre-med degree, during a medical brigade in Ethiopia, that my perspective took a profound turn. While I had embarked on this journey to conduct routine check-ups and shadow doctors, I ended up receiving an education far beyond medicine.
In Ethiopia, I encountered dozens of pregnant young girls, some as young as 12, in desperate need of prenatal care. I met girls who were child brides, a growing and alarming phenomenon in the country. It was a revelation, an awakening, as I saw these girls with so little hope, seemingly trapped in roles they never chose. It was then that I realized my true calling. These were the girls in need of relief, the ones who deserved to be told that they had futures beyond the paths they were forced into. While it wasn't cancer, I saw their plight as every bit as invasive and fatal.
It was a moment of profound clarity when I decided to change my course. I resolved to become a human rights lawyer, driven by an unwavering determination to create better outcomes for women and children worldwide. These experiences in Ethiopia had etched in me the belief that the power to effect change was not confined to the realm of medicine alone, but extended to the law, advocacy, and justice.
As I aspire to join the esteemed community at Cardozo Law School, I carry with me a commitment to making a difference. My journey, rooted in my sister's battle with leukemia and illuminated by the young girls in Ethiopia, has led me to this pivotal juncture. It is my conviction that the law is a formidable tool, one that can bring about tangible change, offer hope, and pave the way for a brighter future for those who need it most. My experiences have not only reshaped my ambitions but have also fueled my determination to be a force for good in the world, seeking justice and brighter prospects for those who have been denied their rightful opportunities. Cardozo Law School, with its rich tradition of fostering future legal advocates and change-makers, is the perfect platform for me to further this mission.”
This is a great essay for a number of reasons. First, it takes a non-traditional route by discussing their original plans of joining the medical field and their eventual journey to law. It demonstrates a clear and engaging narrative and uses descriptive language to immerse the readers.
It also effectively connects the applicant's experiences and aspirations to Cardozo Law School.
The total cost of tuition and fees to attend the Cardozo School of Law is $69,826 a year. With other expenses like housing and textbooks, it’s estimated the average 1L student will spend over $100,000 to attend this school.
Here’s a breakdown of these expenses:
Cardozo offers several needs-based grants, merit scholarships, institutional loans, and federal, state, and private loan programs.
The Fall 2024 applications for Cardozo Law School open in September of 2023 and close on April 1st, 2024. Cardozo also offers a Spring term; these applications are due March 15th, 2024.
The major dates you need to keep in mind when applying to Cardozo are as follows:
With an 81.2% first-time bar passage rate, Cardozo Law School equips its students with the knowledge and experience to thrive in the legal field. A high bar passage rate is a good indicator of a robust JD program.
Want to ensure your application stands out from the crowd? Follow these tips to get into Cardozo Law School:
Cardozo is well-known for its focus on public interest and human rights law. If you have a genuine passion for these areas, make sure your application and personal statement reflect this commitment. Emphasize any relevant experience, such as volunteer work or internships in these fields.
Another one of the best strategies to gain admission to Cardozo is to pursue and highlight experiences that showcase your writing and research abilities. Cardozo places a strong emphasis on these traits and believes they are a valuable asset for law students to have.
Whether it be courses, projects, or internships, these experiences are essential to have on your resume.
If you have been actively involved in promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion in your previous educational or professional experiences, make sure to convey this in your application. Cardozo is big on diversity and inclusion, and wants to make sure its students are too!
Overall, what Cardozo Law School is looking for is students who demonstrate great academic potential and intellectual curiosity.
They aim to admit students from diverse backgrounds with unique perspectives and experiences. They also tend to admit students who have a genuine passion for and commitment to human rights and public service.
We’ve covered the basics of what you need to know about Cardozo Law School. In case you have any more questions, here are our answers to these frequently asked questions.
Yes, based on its bar passage alone, it’s clear that Cardozo prepares its students well for their legal careers. It also has a high employment rate and is known for its robust legal curriculum.
Cardozo Law School is best known for its dispute resolution, in which it ranks fifth in the nation, and its intellectual property law program, in which it ranks fourteenth in the nation. It also has one of the best part-time law programs in the US!
Based on the Cardozo School of Law ranking, 69th place, Cardozo is a second-tier law school.
Cardozo Law School is part of Yeshiva University, which is a private orthodox Jewish university.
The Cardozo School of Law is located in New York. This makes it a prime location for law students to gain diverse experience and begin networking.
Your target LSAT score should be 164 or higher to maximize your chances of acceptance into Cardozo Law School.
With the motto “bringing law to life,” Cardozo is an excellent law school for any student who wants their legal education to involve hands-on learning, real-world challenges, and career-building connections.
With the added benefit of being in New York City, a prime location for law, business, and media, pursuing a legal education at this school is guaranteed to be both exciting and extremely rewarding!
So, now that you know how to beat the Cardozo Law School acceptance rate, are convinced it’s an excellent option, and are armed with strategies to position yourself as a competitive candidate, all that’s left to do is apply!
