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List of law school GPA curves

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Many, or perhaps most, law schools in the United States grade on a curve. The process generally works within each class, where the instructor grades the work, and then ranks the initial grades, adding to and subtracting from the initial grades so that the overall pattern of grades matches the school's specified curve (usually a bell curve).

Grading on a curve contributes to the notoriously competitive atmosphere within law schools. "The main source of this competition is the mandatory curve you will likely encounter once you enter law school. The curve affects the class rank, affects the chances of making law review, affects the chances of scoring that big job/externship."[1] Some law schools set their curve lower to retain scholarship funding.

The following list shows where law schools set the 50% mark.

The List

Law School GPA Curve
Mississippi College School of Law 2.50-2.79(1L)
University of Akron School of Law 2.78[2]
University of Alabama School of Law 3.20[3]
Albany Law School 3.07[4]
American University Washington College of Law 3.45 WCL does not have a school-wide curve. This is just where the 50th percentile happens to fall.[5]
Appalachian School of Law 2.50–2.67[6]
University of Arizona, James E. Rogers College of Law 3.29[7]
Arizona State University, Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law 3.30[8]
University of Arkansas School of Law 2.67[9]
University of Arkansas at Little Rock, William H. Bowen School of Law 2.87[10]
Ave Maria School of Law 3.08[11]
University of Baltimore School of Law 2.86[12]
Barry University, Dwayne O. Andreas School of Law 2.71[13]
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law 3.16[14]
Boston College Law School 3.32[15]
Boston University School of Law Not Reported (Top-third: 3.51)[16]
Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School 3.30[17]
Brooklyn Law School 3.25[18]
Case Western Reserve University School of Law 3.0 (3.1 Median)[19] for 1Ls, varies from (3.2-3.7) for 2L/3Ls
UCLA School of Law 3.2[20]
Chapman University School of Law 2.80[citation needed]
Charleston School of Law 2.67–3.00[citation needed]
Columbus School of Law 2.80–3.00[21]
University of Connecticut School of Law 3.0 Median
Cornell Law School 3.35[22]
University of Dayton School of Law 2.80 (1L); 3.00 (2L/3L)[23]
University of Denver Sturm College of Law 3.00 (median); 2.85–3.15 (mean)[24]
Duke University School of Law 3.30[25]
Duquesne University School of Law For each first-year course and all upper-level courses of 15 or more students, the faculty suggests that 20-25% of the grades be A- or above, 50-60% of the grades be B- to B+, and 20-25% of the grades be C+ or below.[26]
Elon University School of Law 3.39 (based on a scale where 2.8 was equivalent to C and 4.3 was highest A)[27]
Emory University School of Law 3.3[citation needed]
Florida Coastal School of Law 2.50 (1L mean); 2.70 (2L/3L mean)[28]
University of Florida Levin College of Law 3.15[citation needed]
Fordham University School of Law 3.17[29]
George Mason University School of Law 2.85–2.95[30]
Georgetown University Law Center 3.31[31]
University of Georgia School of Law 2.90[32]
Georgia State University College of Law 2.9-3.1[33]
Gonzaga University School of Law 2.60–2.90[34]
Thomas Jefferson School of Law 2.7[35]
University of Houston Law Center 2.9-3.1 (1L mean)[36]
University of Idaho College of Law 2.70[37]
University of Illinois College of Law 3.20 (1L mean)[38]
University of Kansas School of Law 2.80–3.00 (1L mean)[39]
University of Kentucky College of Law 2.9–3.1[40]
Louisiana State University, Paul M. Hebert Law Center 2.60 (1L); 2.80 (2L/3L)[41]
Loyola University New Orleans College of Law 3.017[42]
University of Massachusetts School of Law 1.9-2.3[43]
Massachusetts School of Law 2.0[44]
University of Michigan Law School 3.13-3.25[45]
University of Minnesota Law School 3.00–3.33[46]
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law 2.942 (median grade - grading guidelines vary by year in school and type of course)[47]
North Carolina Central University School of Law 1.67–2.33[48]
Northwestern University School of Law 3.26[49]
Ohio Northern University, Pettit College of Law 2.33 (L1)- 2.66 (L2/L3)[50]
Ohio State University Moritz College of Law 2.70[51]
Oklahoma City University School of Law 2.17–2.60[52]
University of Oregon School of Law 2.67–2.75[53]
Pennsylvania State University – Dickinson School of Law 2.90–3.10[54]
Quinnipiac University School of Law 3.02[55]
Rutgers School of Law - Newark 3.00[56]
St. John's University School of Law 3.30 (median); 2.95–3.05 (mean)[57]
Saint Louis University School of Law 2.80[58][59][60]
University of San Diego School of Law 2.95–3.05[61]
University of San Francisco School of Law 2.73–2.99[citation needed]
Seattle University School of Law 3.1–3.2[62]
Seton Hall University School of Law 3.0[63]
University of Southern California School of Law 3.30[64]
South Texas College of Law 2.67[citation needed]
Southern Illinois University School of Law 2.55–2.80[65]
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law 3.04[66]
Southwestern Law School 2.90 (1L mean); 3.00 (2L/3L mean)[67]
Suffolk University Law School 3.02 (1L); 3.16 (2L/3L)[68]
Syracuse University College of Law 2.90–3.10[69]
Temple University Beasley School of Law 3.05[70]
University of Tennessee College of Law 3.0(1L); 3.1 (2L); 3.2–3.3 (3L)[71]
University of Texas School of Law 3.30[72]
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law 3.00[73]
Thomas M. Cooley Law School 2.00–2.40[74]
Tulane University Law School 3.20–3.30[citation needed]
University of Tulsa College of Law 2.50–2.67[75]
University of Utah, S.J. Quinney College of Law 3.38[76]
Valparaiso University School of Law 2.50–2.70[citation needed]
Vanderbilt University Law School 3.17[77]
Vermont Law School 3.00[citation needed]
Villanova University School of Law 3.25[78]
University of Virginia School of Law 3.30[79]
Washington and Lee University School of Law 3.34[80]
University of Washington School of Law 3.40[81]
Whittier Law School 2.50–2.75 (1L); 2.50–2.88 (2L/3L)[82]
Widener University School of Law 2.30–2.75[83]
William Mitchell College of Law 3.00[84]
University of Wisconsin Law School 2.85–3.10[85]
University of Wyoming College of Law 2.60–3.00[citation needed]

Class rank and GPA not reported

  • Columbia Law School — no reported GPA, but 30–33% of class qualifies for a distinction awarded to those with "an academic average significantly better than B+"[86]
  • Harvard Law School — The current grading system of dean's scholar, honors, pass, low pass, and fail had at one time a recommended curve of 37% dean's scholar and honors, 55% pass, and 8% low pass in classes with over 30 JD and LLM students,[87] but the curve is no longer enforced. Between 1970 and 2008 Harvard established a GPA cut-off required in order to obtain the summa cum laude distinction. During that time, only 6 students achieved the GPA required for the distinction of summa cum laude (32 out of the 38 years, the top student only managed to obtain the magna cum laude distinction, for example, there was a 15 year hiatus until Lisa Ann Grow managed to obtain summa cum laude). Those who have managed to obtain the summa cum laude distinction include Lewis Sargentich('70), Isaac Pachulski('74), Peter Huber('82), Lisa Ann Grow/Sun ('97), Julian Poon ('99). Since 2008, to address the difficulty of obtaining the summa cum laude distinction, in a year where no student manages to meet the GPA cut-off, Harvard will now award summa cum laude to the top student of the year (a rank that did not guarantee summa cum laude in the past).[88]
  • New York University School of Law — not reported but appears to be 3.3[89][90]
  • Rutgers School of Law–Camden — class rank was eliminated in 1972; each semester, the law school identifies Dean's Scholars as the top 5% and Dean's List as the next 20%; at graduation, highest honors and high honors are determined by the faculty and honors is given to the top 15%[91]
  • Rutgers School of Law–Newark — class rank is not published; however, upon graduation, rank is used to determine graduation honors with top 10% awarded Order of the Coif and cum laude; top 5% awarded magna cum laude; and top 1% awarded summa cum laude.[92]
  • University of Michigan Law School — class rank is not established until after graduation[93]
  • University of Notre Dame Law School — no mandated curve; no class rank[94]
  • University at Buffalo Law School — no curve, but benchmarks for top 5%, 10%, 15%, 20% and 25% for each class are released each June
  • University of Pennsylvania Law School — not reported.[95]

Irregular grading systems

The following law schools have adopted a grading system which does not allow for the calculation of a comparable median GPA on a 4.0 scale, if any GPA is recorded at all:

Notes

  1. ^ "Competition and the Mandatory Curve in Law School," Apr. 18, 2006, CALI's Pre-Law Blog ("The main source of this competition is the mandatory curve you will likely encounter once you enter law school. The curve affects the class rank, affects the chances of making law review, affects the chances of scoring that big job/externship.") See also, Barbara Glesner Fines, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, "Competition and the Curve
  2. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=33601&yr=2010
  3. ^ http://www.law.ua.edu/academics/curriculum/grading/
  4. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=23301&yr=2010
  5. ^ WCL Office of Registrar
  6. ^ http://www.asl.edu/documents/standards.pdf
  7. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=80301&yr=2010
  8. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=80302&yr=2010
  9. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=70401&yr=2010
  10. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=70402&yr=2010
  11. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=32306&yr=2010
  12. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=52101&yr=2010
  13. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=51008&yr=2010
  14. ^ [1]
  15. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=12201&yr=2010
  16. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=12202&yr=2010
  17. ^ BYU Policies and Procedures
  18. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=23302&yr=2010
  19. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp
  20. ^ http://cdn.law.ucla.edu/SiteCollectionDocuments/records%202/summary%20of%20academic%20standards%20as%20of%2008-31-09.pdf
  21. ^ CUA/CSL
  22. ^ Cornell OCS
  23. ^ [2]
  24. ^ DU Law Student Handbook
  25. ^ Duke OCS
  26. ^ Duquesne University School of Law Academic Bulletin
  27. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=53407&yr=2010
  28. ^ FCSL Student Handbook
  29. ^ [3]
  30. ^ George Mason Academic Regulations
  31. ^ [4]
  32. ^ [law.uga.edu]
  33. ^ [5]
  34. ^ [www.law.gonzaga.edu]
  35. ^ [www.tjsl.edu]
  36. ^ UHLC Policy Handbook
  37. ^ No Grade Inflation at Idaho
  38. ^ Illinois Academic Policy Handbook
  39. ^ [6]
  40. ^ [7]
  41. ^ [8]
  42. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=71902&yr=2010
  43. ^ "University of Massachusetts School of Law - Dartmouth Student Handbook" (PDF). Retrieved March 30, 2012.
  44. ^ http://www.mslaw.edu/Directory_Reg_Standing.htm
  45. ^ [9]
  46. ^ [10]
  47. ^ [11]
  48. ^ NCCU
  49. ^ Northwestern Academics
  50. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=33607&yr=2010
  51. ^ Moritz Law 2006 rankings Moritz Law Registrar
  52. ^ [12]
  53. ^ [13]
  54. ^ Penn State Dickinson School of Law – www.dsl.psu.edu
  55. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=10701&yr=2010
  56. ^ [14]
  57. ^ St. John's Student Handbook
  58. ^ SLU First Year Rankings
  59. ^ SLU Second Year Rankings
  60. ^ SLU Third Year Rankings
  61. ^ Grading
  62. ^ http://www.law.seattleu.edu/Academics/Curriculum/Grading.xml
  63. ^ http://law.shu.edu/Students/academics/examinations/Grading-Curves.cfm
  64. ^ USC Handbook
  65. ^ Southern Illinois University School of Law Rules
  66. ^ SMU OCS
  67. ^ [15]
  68. ^ NALP SULS GPA
  69. ^ Syracuse University College of Law Academic Rules
  70. ^ Temple University Class Rank Report
  71. ^ [16]
  72. ^ "UT Law - Student Affairs Office - Grading Policy". Retrieved February 29, 2012.
  73. ^ Texas Wesleyan University – Home
  74. ^ [17]
  75. ^ The University of Tulsa College of Law
  76. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=84502&yr=2010
  77. ^ http://law.vanderbilt.edu/academics/academic-programs/phd-program-in-law--economics/student-resources/download.aspx?id=2807
  78. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=23906&yr=2010
  79. ^ Virginia website
  80. ^ W&L Admissions
  81. ^ [18]
  82. ^ [19]
  83. ^ [20]
  84. ^ [21]
  85. ^ Wisconsin Students
  86. ^ Columbia Law School: Grading, accessed March 22, 2007
  87. ^ Harvard Law School Handbook of Academic Policies 2009–2010
  88. ^ [22]
  89. ^ http://leiterlawschool.typepad.com/leiter/2008/12/nyus-new-grading-curve.html
  90. ^ New York University School of Law | Grades & Academic Standards (J.D. & LL.M.), accessed August 19, 2007
  91. ^ Rutgers University School of Law – Camden Grading System, accessed June 12, 2009
  92. ^ http://www.nalplawschoolsonline.org/ndlsdir_search_results.asp?lscd=23102&yr=2011 NALP Directory of Law Schools – Rutgers School of Law-Newark
  93. ^ [23], accessed March 16, 2009
  94. ^ Notre Dame Law School Grading Policy, accessed June 2, 2008
  95. ^ Penn Law Information on Law School Grades
  96. ^ http://law.campbell.edu/employers/class-rank-percentages.pdf
  97. ^ Stanford Law School Grading System, accessed December 7, 2010
  98. ^ Grading Policy, law.berkeley.edu, accessed June 9, 2011
  99. ^ top-law-schools.com
  100. ^ Yale Law School | Grades, accessed March 22, 2007
  101. ^ Washington University School of Law | Grades, accessed Nov. 14, 2010
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