BU Law School: #22 Ranking, 170 Median LSAT, Admissions & Employment Stats

BU Law has been steadily ranked in the low-to-mid 20s for the past several years. This places it in the top tier of American law schools -- ahead of schools like George Washington, Fordham, and UC Irvine, and in the same range as Notre Dame, Washington University in St. Louis, and Emory.

What the ranking means practically: BU Law opens doors at top law firms, federal clerkships, and government positions. In the Boston legal market specifically, BU Law's network is arguably stronger than some higher-ranked schools located outside the region.

What you need to be competitive:

• A 170+ LSAT puts you at or above median. Below 164 makes admission unlikely without exceptional softs.
• A 3.88+ GPA is competitive. Below 3.71 is below the 25th percentile.
• Work experience is valued but not required. The average BU Law student has 2-3 years of post-undergraduate experience.
• BU Law values diversity, public interest commitment, and demonstrated leadership.

• Applications open: September
• Priority deadline: December 1 (for scholarship consideration)
• Regular deadline: March 1
• Decisions: Rolling, January through April

Financial Aid:

• 90.59% of students receive grants or scholarships
• Average scholarship: ~$30,000/year
• Named scholarships: Dean's Scholarship, Public Interest Scholarship, full-tuition awards
• Public interest loan repayment assistance program (LRAP) available

Where BU Law grads work:

• Large law firms (100+ attorneys): ~40% of graduating class
• Government: ~12%
• Public interest: ~8%
• Business/industry: ~15%
• Clerkships: ~10%
• Small/mid firms: ~15%

Clerkships: BU Law places ~10% of graduates in federal and state clerkships, which is strong for a school ranked in the 20s.

BU Law has 20+ clinics and experiential programs, but several stand out:

BU/MIT Student Innovations Law Clinic (SILC)

The only law school clinic in the country focused on IP and technology law. Students work with MIT entrepreneurs on patent, trademark, and startup legal issues. Three practice groups: Intellectual Property, Privacy/Health/Media, and Venture/Finance.

Health Law

BU Law's health law program is nationally ranked. Includes:

• Health Justice Practicum
• Health Law Externship
• Health Law Legislative Clinic
• Health Law Concentration

Patent Trial Advocacy

Students serve as trial counsel in federal civil actions -- real cases, real courtrooms.

Other notable clinics:

• Criminal Defense Clinic
• Civil Litigation Program
• Immigrants' Rights Clinic
• Transactional Law Clinic
• Startup Law Clinic

BU Law requires all students to complete at least one clinical or externship experience before graduating.

BU Law's alumni network is particularly strong in the Boston legal community. In large Boston law firms, BU Law alumni often outnumber graduates of higher-ranked schools simply because of the decades-long pipeline.

Class size: ~238 1L students, divided into sections of ~80 for core classes.

Student organizations: 60+ student organizations including:

• BU Law Review (flagship journal)
• 7 additional law journals
• Moot Court Board
• Mock Trial
• Student Bar Association
• Public interest organizations

Housing: Most law students live off-campus in Allston, Brookline, or Brighton. Studio apartments run $1,500-$2,000/month; roommate situations are $900-$1,300/month.

Boston advantage: BU Law's location gives students direct access to the Massachusetts State House, federal courts, Boston's healthcare corridor, and the financial district for internships and externships during the school year.

BU vs. BC Law: BU Law ranks significantly higher (#22 vs. #31), has a higher median LSAT (170 vs. 167), and places a larger percentage into BigLaw. If you want to practice in Boston, both schools have strong local networks, but BU Law's higher ranking and larger class size give it a broader reach.

BU vs. Georgetown: Georgetown's DC location gives it an edge for government and policy careers. BU Law is stronger for Boston-market careers, healthcare law, and IP/tech law.

BU vs. Northeastern Law: Very different schools. Northeastern emphasizes public interest and has a co-op program. BU Law has much stronger BigLaw placement and higher selectivity.