Duke Law School Acceptance Rate: What It Takes to Get Into a Top-7 School
Duke Law School’s acceptance rate is 12.9% for the 2025 cycle (804 offers from 6,240 applications), with a median LSAT of 171 and a median GPA of 3.91. It ranks #7 in U.S. News, and it is arguably the most attainable school in the very top tier while still delivering elite outcomes: around 99% of graduates are employed, with top-four national placement in the best legal jobs. Duke pairs those results with a small, famously collegial class, which is its real signature.
What is Duke Law School’s acceptance rate?
Duke Law’s acceptance rate is 12.9% for the 2025 cycle. The school received 6,240 applications and extended 804 offers, enrolling a class of roughly 225 students, one of the smallest in the T14.
That rate makes Duke selective, but in context it is the gentlest door into the very top tier. Yale, Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia all admit a smaller share of applicants, so for a strong candidate aiming at a top-seven school, Duke is often the most realistic target of the group.
The caution is that “most attainable” is relative. A 12.9% rate and a 171 median LSAT are still elite numbers, and the applicant pool is uniformly strong, so qualifying is the floor rather than the goal.
What LSAT and GPA do you need for Duke Law?
The numbers that gate Duke are a median LSAT of 171 and a median GPA of 3.91. What stands out is the tightness of the band: the middle 50% of enrolled students scored just 169 to 172 on the LSAT, a three-point spread that signals a heavily numbers-driven process.
| Duke metric (2025 ABA 509) | 25th | Median | 75th |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 169 | 171 | 172 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.83 | 3.91 | 3.96 |
The practical read: at or above a 171 LSAT and a 3.9 GPA, you are competitive on paper. Below the 169 line, the odds drop sharply, and a focused LSAT retake is usually a better use of a year than hoping essays carry a sub-169 file. Run your numbers through our law school admission predictor to see where you stand, and see our full LSAT score guide for the climb to 171. Duke also accepts the GRE, though most admitted students submit the LSAT.
How does Duke compare to other T14 schools?
The fastest way to read Duke is against its peers. The table uses each school’s 2025 ABA 509 admissions data, ordered by acceptance rate.
| Law School | Acceptance Rate | Median LSAT | Median GPA |
|---|---|---|---|
| Yale | 4.06% | 173 | 3.96 |
| Stanford | 6.10% | 173 | 3.96 |
| Harvard | 9.2% | 174 | 3.96 |
| Columbia | 11.8% | 173 | 3.92 |
| Duke | 12.9% | 171 | 3.91 |
| NYU | 13.4% | 172 | 3.92 |
| Georgetown | 15.75% | 171 | 3.93 |
Two things stand out. Duke’s acceptance rate is higher than the schools ranked above it, and its median LSAT runs a point or two lower, so an applicant in the 170-172 range who is a reach at Columbia or Harvard is a genuine target at Duke. That small gap is the opening, and it is why Duke is the smart “top-tier reach with a real chance” on many applicants’ lists.
Is Duke Law worth it? The outcomes
Duke’s results are why the climb pays off, and they are elite by the measures that matter. Around 99% of recent graduates were employed within ten months, and Duke has repeatedly ranked in the top four nationally for full-time, long-term, bar-required jobs, the “gold standard” of legal employment.
The clerkship and BigLaw pipeline is exceptional for a school of its size. Roughly 11 to 13% of recent classes went into judicial clerkships, the large majority federal, and Duke has placed 11 graduates into U.S. Supreme Court clerkships since 2010. First-time bar passage sits around 97%, among the highest in the country.
For an applicant weighing the cost, the takeaway is that Duke delivers the same caliber of outcome as the schools ranked above it. You are not trading meaningfully weaker results for the easier admit.
What is Duke Law known for?
Duke is known, above all, for a collegial culture that sets it apart from the pressure-cooker reputation of some top schools. Its small class (about 225) and collaborative, non-cutthroat environment have made “Duke Law loves you back” a genuine part of its identity, and that culture shows up in tight alumni loyalty.
Academically, Duke is strong across the board and especially well regarded in business and corporate law, a natural feeder into careers as a corporate lawyer, alongside deep litigation and clerkship preparation. It also offers accelerated joint degrees, including a three-year JD-LLM and a JD-MBA with the Fuqua School of Business.
The small size is the throughline. It means closer faculty access, a tighter community, and individualized career support, which is part of why Duke’s placement runs so strong relative to its class size.
How much does Duke Law cost?
Full-time tuition at Duke Law is about $80,100 for 2025-26, placing it among the most expensive law schools in the country, with living expenses on top. The partial offset is location: Durham, North Carolina has a markedly lower cost of living than New York or the Bay Area, so a Duke student’s total spend often lands below a comparable student’s at Columbia, NYU, or Stanford.
Aid is widespread. Roughly 94% of students receive grant or scholarship funding, and Duke does not award conditional scholarships, so an award is not exposed to a first-year GPA renewal cliff. Because Duke competes with the highest-ranked schools for cross-admits, it is often willing to use merit money to win students, which can make the net price surprisingly competitive. Model your number with our guides to law school cost and the canonical law school rankings.
How to get into Duke Law
Lead with the LSAT. Because the enrolled band is so tight (169 to 172), a score at or above 171 does more for your file here than almost anything else, and a sub-169 score is the single biggest obstacle to clear.
Protect the GPA and consider Early Decision. A GPA at or above 3.83 keeps you in range, and Duke’s binding Early Decision option can signal commitment and sometimes comes paired with scholarship consideration, a real lever for an applicant who is confident Duke is the first choice.
Then write to fit. Duke reads for applicants who will thrive in and add to its collaborative culture, so a personal statement that connects a genuine reason to be at Duke specifically, the community, a faculty member, a program, lands better than a generic “top school” essay.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is Duke Law School’s acceptance rate?
Duke Law’s acceptance rate is 12.9% for the 2025 cycle, with 804 offers from 6,240 applications. It is the most attainable school in the very top tier, since Yale, Stanford, Harvard, and Columbia all admit a smaller share of applicants.
What LSAT and GPA do you need for Duke Law?
The median LSAT is 171 and the median GPA is 3.91. The middle 50% of enrolled students scored between 169 and 172 on the LSAT, a tight three-point band that makes the LSAT especially important.
Is Duke Law a T14 school?
Yes. Duke ranks #7 in the 2026 U.S. News rankings, firmly in the T14. It is generally considered the most attainable of the very top schools by acceptance rate.
What are Duke Law’s employment outcomes?
Around 99% of recent graduates were employed within ten months, with Duke repeatedly ranking in the top four nationally for gold-standard bar-required jobs. Roughly 11 to 13% enter clerkships, mostly federal, and first-time bar passage is about 97%.
How much does Duke Law cost?
Full-time tuition is about $80,100 for 2025-26, plus living expenses, though Durham’s lower cost of living softens the total. About 94% of students receive grant aid, and Duke does not award conditional scholarships.
Is Duke Law hard to get into?
Yes, but it is the most attainable of the top-seven schools. With a 12.9% acceptance rate and a 171 median LSAT, applicants at or above a 171 LSAT and a 3.9 GPA are competitive, while a sub-169 LSAT faces long odds.
Sources: Duke University School of Law ABA Required Disclosures (Standard 509) (2025 report; Fall 2025 entering class): 6,240 applications, 804 offers, 12.9% acceptance, LSAT 169/171/172, UGPA 3.83/3.91/3.96, full-time tuition approximately $80,100. Employment (about 99% employed within ten months; top-four national placement in full-time, long-term, bar-required jobs), clerkship data (roughly 11–13% of recent classes; 11 U.S. Supreme Court clerkships since 2010), and first-time bar passage (about 97%) from Duke’s ABA employment reports and disclosures. Ranking (#7) references 2026 U.S. News Best Law Schools; comparative T14 admissions figures via ABA Standard 509 disclosures. Reviewed by Lexinter Law Directory. Report a correction.
