Northeastern University School of Law
early decision Dec 1, 2026 · early action Dec 1, 2026 · regular Mar 1, 2027
0 of 5 required items complete· next deadline in 45 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.
5,652 applications, 1,369 offers, 233 enrolled · Verified 2026-08-18 · view source
What it costs, how graduates fare
- Tuition2025-26
$65,652 full-time · plus $198 annual fees
$49,230 part-time
Living expenses $22,900 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
90.5%first-time+6.3
84.3% is the average for all ABA-accredited schools’ graduates in the same jurisdictions this school’s graduates sat in · 191 of 211 first-time takers passed
94.1% 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
175 of 213 (82.2%) in full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar admission
Ten months after graduation · 9 more in JD-advantage jobs · 19 still seeking · 1 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.
$73,471 median one year after finishing · $116,706 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 Nov 10, 2026
Our application instructions state that you must provide a personal statement on any topic.
Notes & source
Northeastern publishes no topical prompt. The quoted sentence is the FAQ's restatement of the LSAC application instructions (the instructions themselves sit behind the LSAC application and were not retrieved). The FAQ adds: 'A hallmark of a Northeastern University School of Law education is the freedom to pursue the areas of law that interest you, both in and out of the classroom, and we are granting you the same freedom in deciding what topic(s) to cover in your personal statement... Our only requirements are that your essay should be no longer than two pages, double-spaced and in 12-point font.' The personal statement is listed as a required submission for ED, EA and Regular applicants on the first-year applicants page (law.northeastern.edu/admissions/jd/application-process/first-year-jd-applicants/).
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
- Why this schoolOptional · 1 pgschool-specificstart by Nov 21, 2026
Over the past few years, most law schools have come to recognize the importance of hands-on legal experience. At Northeastern, we have been incorporating practice directly into the curriculum since 1968. Ranked A+ in Practical Training by the National Jurist, our signature Cooperative Legal Education Program (co-op) guarantees you nearly a year of full-time work experience in the areas of law that interest you, anywhere in the world. What field(s) of law would you like to pursue on co-op and why?
Notes & source
First of three optional essay prompts; the FAQ says 'We encourage you to respond to one of our three optional essay questions' — one response, not all three. 'Your response must be in your own words, one page, double-spaced in 12-point font.' The numbering ('1.') has been stripped; the rest is verbatim. Recorded as why_x_essay because the question is about Northeastern's own signature Cooperative Legal Education Program (co-op).
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
- Optional essayOptional · 1 pgschool-specificstart by Nov 24, 2026
Northeastern is a nationally recognized leader in public interest law with a strong reputation for producing accomplished leaders in the field. What specific social justice issue are you most passionate about and how have your professional or personal experiences influenced your interests?
Notes & source
Second of three optional essay prompts (numbering stripped; text otherwise verbatim). One page, double-spaced, 12-point font. The FAQ adds in italics: 'Applicants may submit this essay to bolster their candidacy for the Public Interest Law Scholarship (PILS). If you would like this essay to be considered for your candidacy for the PILS, please label your essay as a PILS essay in the heading section of the document.' Separately, the FAQ states all applicants received by March 1 are automatically considered for PILS.
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
- Perspective statementOptional · 1 pgstart by Nov 17, 2026
At Northeastern University, diversity is about excellence and inclusion. It's about the way in which we engage with the world, the opportunity to learn from new perspectives, a core value for the University, an essential element of contemporary life, an expression of cultural pride, and a reflection of our campus, community, and global partners. Northeastern University School of Law, in keeping with the mission of Northeastern University, is committed to building and sustaining a diverse, equitable, and inclusive community of faculty, students, and staff that welcomes and respects all persons, regardless of race, gender identity or expression, family structure, socio-economic status, or ability status. We strive to develop an open and respectful environment that draws on talent from every sector or society and engages the global community. We are dedicated to the integration of multiple, divergent perspectives, and to the principle that a diverse and inclusive community not only supports innovation and creativity, but also creates and promotes cultural understanding throughout Northeastern's community. With these guiding principles, the School of Law aspires to promote a thriving society built on equal opportunity and social justice. How has your background shaped who you are today or your future aspirations, and how will your presence enhance the Northeastern community?
Notes & source
Third of three optional essay prompts (numbering stripped; text otherwise verbatim, including the two framing paragraphs the school prints above the question). One page, double-spaced, 12-point font. Northeastern does not give this essay a separate name — it is simply the third optional essay — but it is typed here as a perspective_statement because it asks how the applicant's background shaped them and how their presence will enhance the community.
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
- AddendumOptional · 1 pgstart by Nov 28, 2026
Notes & source
Optional. FAQ wording: 'Yes, you are welcome to submit an addendum to address anything in your application that might require further explanation, such as a gap in schooling or employment. Please be specific but brief. An addendum should be no more than one page in length.' The formatting FAQ adds 12-point font. Separately, the FAQ warns against supplemental materials: 'We kindly ask that you refrain from submitting additional, supplemental materials, including, but not limited to, senior theses, works of art, creative writing, publications, reports, videography, music or other materials' — such work should be described in the resume, personal statement or an addendum instead. Northeastern also asks a series of character and fitness questions on the application form.
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
Letters & documents
- Letter of recommendationRequiredstart by Nov 3, 2026
Notes & source
FAQ wording: 'Northeastern University School of Law requires one letter of recommendation submitted via LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS). We will not accept more than two letters of recommendation.' The first-year applicants page (law.northeastern.edu/admissions/jd/application-process/first-year-jd-applicants/) likewise asks for a 'Current CAS report that includes LSAT score(s) (no more than 5 years old), one letter of recommendation, and all required transcripts.' The pages do not say whether recommenders should be academic or professional; the admissions policy page only notes that the committee considers 'recommendations from individuals who know the candidate well.'
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
- RésuméRequired · 1 pgstart by Nov 24, 2026
Notes & source
Required for ED, EA and Regular applicants. FAQ formatting guidance, quoted: 'Applicants are encouraged to limit their résumé to one page in 12-point font. A second page will be accepted for applicants with significant work experience.' Recorded as a one-page limit because that is the school's stated default; a second page is permitted in the stated circumstance.
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
- Transcripts via LSAC CASRequiredstart by Nov 10, 2026
Notes & source
All undergraduate and graduate transcripts must be submitted through LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS): 'Transcripts for all colleges and universities previously attended must be sent directly to CAS. If you receive additional grades, you should submit an updated transcript to the Credential Assembly Service, so they can send updated information to the law school. While an undergraduate transcript without a date of conferral can be submitted with your initial application, the transcript is not considered final without the date of degree conferral.' Per the application-process page (law.northeastern.edu/admissions/jd/application-process/), 'a candidate must have a bachelor’s degree from an accredited college or university by the time of law school matriculation in August.' Foreign-degree applicants whose program was not taught in English submit TOEFL (institution code 3658) or IELTS scores directly to the law school.
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
- LSAT or GRERequiredstart by Oct 2, 2026
Notes & source
LSAT. Every JD admissions page speaks only of the LSAT — the first-year applicants page requires a 'Current CAS report that includes LSAT score(s) (no more than 5 years old)' and the admissions policy page weighs 'the undergraduate GPA, LSAT score and other factors.' None of these pages mentions the GRE at all; that is the pages' silence, not a stated refusal to accept it. Test timing: ED and EA applicants must take the LSAT on or before the November administration; Regular applicants no later than February. Score must be no more than five years old, measured (per the reapplicant FAQ) as of the date of the new application. Applicants holding a law degree from a non-US law school are not required to submit an LSAT score. For the record, the school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report (law.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ABAStandard509-2025.pdf) lists 1 GRE admissions enrollee in the fall 2025 first-year class, in the part-time program and none full-time; percentiles are not published for fewer than 10 test-takers.
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
Administrative
- Application feeOptionalat submission
Notes & source
There is no application fee. The first-year applicants page states twice, 'There is no application fee for any application,' and the school's 2025 ABA Standard 509 report (law.northeastern.edu/wp-content/uploads/2025/12/ABAStandard509-2025.pdf) lists the application fee as 0. Nothing to pay or waive; LSAC's own CAS and registration fees still apply.
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
- InterviewOptionalat submission
Notes & source
No interview. The only statement on the subject appears in the FAQ's waitlisted-applicant section, answering 'I'm a waitlisted student, can I set up an interview to meet with an admissions representative?': 'Unfortunately, we do not interview or formally meet with applicants, but we have staff on hand to answer any questions you may have. You are welcome to schedule a meeting with an admissions counselor.' No admissions page lists an interview among application components.
Verified 2026-08-18 · source page
Every item above was verified against law.northeastern.edu on 2026-08-18. Expand any item for its own source. Always confirm against the school before you submit — and if we have something wrong, report an error.