Harvard Law School
regular Feb 5, 2027
0 of 8 required items complete· next deadline in 111 days
Your numbers against the class of 2025
This is a comparison against published numbers, not a prediction. Admissions committees weigh essays, letters, and experience that no percentile captures.
8,917 applications, 816 offers, 579 enrolled · Verified 2026-08-13 · view source
What it costs, how graduates fare
- Tuition2025-26
$77,100 full-time · plus $1,592 annual fees
Living expenses $38,690 on campus
Tuition and the fees the school certifies alongside it — not a full cost of attendance.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA Standard 509 report
- Bar passageclass of 2025
97.9%first-time+12.7
85.2% is the average for all ABA-accredited schools’ graduates in the same jurisdictions this school’s graduates sat in · 607 of 620 first-time takers passed
98.7% of the class of 2023 were admitted within two years of graduating
A pass rate on its own says as much about which states a school feeds as about the school, so the ABA’s own like-for-like average is shown with it.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA bar passage report
- Employmentclass of 2025
561 of 602 (93.2%) in full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar admission
Ten months after graduation · 16 more in JD-advantage jobs · 2 still seeking · 15 of the bar-admission jobs are funded by the school
The ABA collects employment status and job type only. It collects no salary, so no salary figure comes from this filing.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA employment summary
- First-year attrition2024-25
0.0% of the first-year class · 1 student
No law school publishes a graduation rate, so this is not one. It is the students who left in their first year, academic and other, as filed. Transfers out are reported separately and are not counted here.
Verified 2026-08-27 · ABA Standard 509 report
- EarningsCollege Scorecard
Not a starting salary.
$175,880 median one year after finishing · $291,490 after four
$107,773 is the national median at four years for the same credential
A College Scorecard median for 2017-18 and 2018-19 completers who received federal aid, measured a fixed number of years after they finished — not what this year’s graduates are being paid, and not a figure the school or the ABA publishes. The ABA collects no salary data at all.
Verified 2026-08-27 · College Scorecard
Essays
- Personal statementRequired · 2 pgstart by Jan 15, 2027
Statement of Purpose: What motivates you to pursue law? How does attending law school align with your goals and vision for your future?
Notes & source
One of two required written statements. Each must be one to two pages, double-spaced, one-inch margins, font no smaller than 11 point; must use at least one full page.
Verified 2026-08-12 · source page
- Perspective statementRequired · 2 pgstart by Jan 22, 2027
Statement of Perspective: How have your past experiences shaped the person you are today? How will those experiences inform your engagement in your law school community?
Notes & source
One of two required written statements. Each must be one to two pages, double-spaced, one-inch margins, font no smaller than 11 point; must use at least one full page.
Verified 2026-08-12 · source page
- AddendumOptionalstart by Feb 2, 2027
Notes & source
Optional: applicants who need additional space beyond the application questions and required materials to provide relevant information may include a brief addendum.
Verified 2026-08-12 · source page
Letters & documents
- Letter of recommendation (1 of 2)Requiredstart by Jan 8, 2027
Notes & source
Two required, up to three accepted. HLS strongly recommends that at least one letter come from an academic source.
Verified 2026-08-12 · source page
- Letter of recommendation (2 of 2)Requiredstart by Jan 8, 2027
Notes & source
Two required, up to three accepted. HLS strongly recommends that at least one letter come from an academic source.
Verified 2026-08-12 · source page
- RésuméRequired · 2 pgstart by Jan 29, 2027
- Transcripts via LSAC CASRequiredstart by Jan 15, 2027
Notes & source
All undergraduate and graduate transcripts must be sent to LSAC after registering for LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). Foreign transcripts require evaluation unless from a sponsored study-abroad program listed on the home institution transcript.
Verified 2026-08-12 · source page
- LSAT or GRERequiredstart by Dec 7, 2026
Notes & source
All applicants must take the LSAT or the GRE General Test no later than February 1. LSAC reports all LSAT scores from the past five years. A GRE score will not be considered if a valid LSAT score is on file.
Verified 2026-08-12 · source page
Administrative
- Application feeRequiredat submission
Notes & source
$90, non-refundable. LSAC Fee Waiver Program recipients honored; HLS fee waivers also available via the HLS Fee Waiver Request Form (opens September 1, closes February 1).
Verified 2026-08-12 · source page
- InterviewOptionalat submission
Notes & source
By invitation only: during application review, applicants may be invited to interview with a member of the Admissions Committee. Interviews are conducted via Zoom, with accommodations available if needed.
Verified 2026-08-12 · source page
Every item above was verified against hls.harvard.edu on 2026-08-12. Expand any item for its own source. Always confirm against the school before you submit — and if we have something wrong, report an error.