University of California, Davis School of Law
early decision Nov 1, 2026 · regular Mar 15, 2027 · final Jun 1, 2027
0 of 6 required items complete· next deadline in 15 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.
3,912 applications, 824 offers, 209 enrolled · Verified 2026-08-14 · view source
What it costs, how graduates fare
- Tuition2025-26
$57,460–$69,705 full-time · resident to non-resident · plus $2,410 annual fees
Living expenses $33,048 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
93.2%first-time+10.7
82.5% is the average for all ABA-accredited schools’ graduates in the same jurisdictions this school’s graduates sat in · 193 of 207 first-time takers passed
93.7% 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
187 of 204 (91.7%) in full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar admission
Ten months after graduation · 6 more in JD-advantage jobs · 1 still seeking · 3 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 · 0 students
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.
$85,816 median one year after finishing · $136,814 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 · 4 pgstart by Oct 11, 2026
No required format or content. The statement may discuss any of a variety of factors, including academic promise; background information; any discrepancies in GPA, LSAT, or GRE score; growth, maturity, and commitment to law study (e.g., extracurricular activities, community service, military service, employment, advanced study); severe economic disadvantage or physical disability; and other personal background factors such as bilingual skills and unusual accomplishments, skills, or abilities relevant to the legal profession.
Notes & source
Usually 2-4 pages, double-spaced, normal margins, 12-point font. The four-page cap is a combined limit: personal statement plus all optional supplemental materials (Community Contribution Statement, addenda) may not exceed four pages, with supplements following the personal statement in the same uploaded document. Because UC Davis does not interview, the school frames this as the applicant's opportunity to communicate directly with the Admission Committee.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Perspective statementOptionalstart by Oct 18, 2026
Community Contribution Statement describing personal background or an experience that enables an applicant to bring a unique perspective to the study of law, our community, and/or contribute to serving the diverse populations of California and beyond.
Notes & source
Optional supplemental material. Counts toward the combined four-page limit (double-spaced, 12-point font) shared with the personal statement and any addenda; should follow the personal statement, appropriately labeled, within the same uploaded document.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- AddendumOptionalstart by Oct 29, 2026
Notes & source
Optional addenda (for example LSAT, GRE, GPA, or a leave of absence from school) providing context needed to evaluate the application fairly. Counts toward the combined four-page limit shared with the personal statement and Community Contribution Statement; label each addendum within the personal statement document. Where LSAT/GRE scores differ significantly, a brief addendum of explanation is welcomed. The application also asks disclosure questions about academic/disciplinary infractions, criminal convictions (excluding traffic violations), and employment termination for cause; an affirmative answer does not necessarily prejudice admission.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
Letters & documents
- Letter of recommendation (1 of 2)Requiredstart by Oct 4, 2026
Notes & source
Two letters required, no more than three accepted, submitted through the LSAC recommendation service from people who know the applicant well and are not related to them. Academic letters are strongly recommended (professors or others who can speak to preparation for law study), though professional letters are accepted; letters from relatives or close family friends who have not supervised the applicant professionally are discouraged. LSAC evaluations are not considered.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Letter of recommendation (2 of 2)Requiredstart by Oct 4, 2026
Notes & source
Two letters required, no more than three accepted, submitted through the LSAC recommendation service from people who know the applicant well and are not related to them. Academic letters are strongly recommended (professors or others who can speak to preparation for law study), though professional letters are accepted; letters from relatives or close family friends who have not supervised the applicant professionally are discouraged. LSAC evaluations are not considered.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- RésuméRequired · 2 pgstart by Oct 25, 2026
Notes & source
Required. Recommended length is one page unless the applicant has extensive work experience (then one to two pages). UC Davis especially encourages detailing employment or other activities undertaken during the academic year, including hours per week. Do not include high school experiences.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- Transcripts via LSAC CASRequiredstart by Oct 11, 2026
Notes & source
All applicants must register with LSAC's Credential Assembly Service (CAS) regardless of whether applying with LSAT or GRE, and submit official transcripts from all institutions attended (supplementary transcripts as new grades post). UC Davis treats the CAS-calculated undergraduate GPA as the GPA of record. Matriculating students must supply an official transcript showing bachelor's degree conferral by October 15 or risk disenrollment. Applicants educated outside the US, its territories, Puerto Rico, or Canada submit transcripts to CAS for a Foreign Credential Evaluation, and most internationally educated applicants must also submit a TOEFL score (minimum 100 iBT; IELTS not accepted; waivers available in limited cases).
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- LSAT or GRERequiredstart by Sep 2, 2026
Notes & source
A valid LSAT or GRE score is required; scores older than five years are invalid. No preference between tests. The Admission Committee uses the highest score for the final decision but sees all scores from the past five years; GRE applicants must send all GRE scores from the past five years via ETS (school code 4185). Per the FAQs, first-time test takers applying regular decision must test no later than April of the entry year (February recommended to meet the March 15 priority deadline); for Early Decision the latest first-time LSAT is typically October, provided scores release before the November 30 decision date. JD-Next is not currently accepted: despite an ABA variance, the faculty has not approved it for first-year admission.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
Administrative
- Application feeOptionalat submission
Notes & source
There is no fee to apply — UC Davis charges no application fee for first-year (or transfer) JD admission, confirmed on both the how-to-apply page and the FAQs. Nothing to pay or waive.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
- InterviewOptionalat submission
Notes & source
Interviews are not part of the evaluation process at UC Davis; there is nothing to schedule or be invited to. The school instead encourages campus visits (Tour Request Form on the Visiting King Hall page) and treats the personal statement as the applicant's direct communication with the committee.
Verified 2026-08-14 · source page
Every item above was verified against law.ucdavis.edu on 2026-08-14. Expand any item for its own source. Always confirm against the school before you submit — and if we have something wrong, report an error.