Why Columbia University?

Class profile

US News rank

#9

Median GPA

3.92

25th–75th: 3.85–3.98

Median LSAT

173

25th–75th: 171–175

Acceptance rate

11.9%

Class size (FT 1L)

402

Transfers admitted (2025)

50

ABA 2025 reporting cycle

2025 transfer admit profile

Actual GPAs of students Columbia University admitted as transfers in the 2025 ABA cycle.

25th percentile

3.69

Bottom quartile

Median

3.77

50th percentile

75th percentile

3.84

Top quartile

4 1Ls transferred out of Columbia University in the same cycle — context for how portable Columbia University's 1L credit is among admissions committees elsewhere.

Top employment markets

1. 1New York
2. 2Washington, DC
3. 3California

Where the most recent graduating class concentrated employment, per the school's ABA 509 employment summary. Use this as a signal of where the alumni network and OCI recruiting pipeline are strongest.

Signature clinics

Clinical programs that define Columbia University's practical training. Mention specific clinic names in your "Why Columbia University" essay where they align with your interests.

• Appellate Litigation Clinic
  Students gain experience in all aspects of appellate advocacy, representing clients in federal courts of appeals.
• Entrepreneurship and Community Development Clinic
  Provides transactional legal counsel to under-resourced nonprofits and social enterprises focused on community strengthening.
• Environmental and Climate Justice Clinic
  Addresses legal issues related to environmental protection and climate justice through litigation, policy, and advocacy.
• Immigrants' Rights Clinic
  Represents immigrants in a variety of legal matters, including deportation defense and asylum claims.
• Sexuality and Gender Law Clinic
  Offers training in impact litigation, legislative work, and community advocacy for gender and sexual justice movements.
• Science, Health, and Information Clinic
  Works to promote equitable access to scientific, technical, and medical knowledge and its benefits.

Notable journals

Student-edited publications you could write for or cite as a research interest.

• Columbia Law Review— General legal scholarship, publishing scholarly articles, essays, and student notes.
• Columbia Business Law Review— Focuses on corporate, securities, and other business law topics.
• Columbia Journal of Environmental Law— Publishes scholarship on a broad range of environmental legal issues.
• Columbia Human Rights Law Review— Dedicated to human rights scholarship and advocacy.
• Columbia Journal of Transnational Law— One of the oldest student-run international law journals, publishing on transnational law issues.
• Columbia Journal of Gender and Law— Explores legal issues related to gender, sexuality, and feminism.
• Columbia Science and Technology Law Review— Focuses on emerging issues in science, technology, and intellectual property law.

Faculty highlights

Well-known faculty grouped by primary specialty. If a professor's scholarship aligns with your interests, name them in your essay and reference a specific paper or course.

• Jane C. Ginsburg
  Intellectual Property Law, Copyright Law, Trademark Law
• Bernard Harcourt
  Critical Legal Theory, Criminal Law, Philosophy
• John C. Coffee Jr.
  Corporate Law, Securities Regulation
• Lee C. Bollinger
  First Amendment, Freedom of Speech
• Kimberlé Crenshaw
  Critical Race Theory, Black Feminist Legal Theory
• Anu Bradford
  International Trade Law, EU Law, Digital Economy
• Michael Gerrard
  Environmental Law, Climate Change Law
• Olatunde C. Johnson
  Legislation, Administrative Law, Civil Rights
• Daniel Abebe
  International Law, Constitutional Law, Law and Economics
• Kathryn Judge
  Financial Regulation, Banking Law
• Shyamkrishna Balganesh
  Copyright Law, Intellectual Property, Legal Theory

What makes Columbia University distinctive

Programs, history, or institutional features that set this school apart beyond rank.

• ·Offers extensive dual and joint degree programs, including J.D./M.P.A. (with SIPA and Princeton), J.D./M.I.A. (with SIPA), and J.D./Ph.D. programs.
• ·Distinguished as an international center of legal education with numerous centers for international and comparative law, and international dual degree programs.
• ·Its location in New York City provides unparalleled access to courts, financial institutions, global organizations, and diverse internship opportunities.
• ·A pioneer in clinical legal education, offering a wide range of hands-on experiences through its numerous clinics.
• ·Home to the Center for Law and the Economy, co-led by prominent scholars like Professor Lina Khan.

Frequently asked about Columbia University

Schools similar to Columbia University

Other schools at a comparable rank tier — useful for building a transfer list, balanced 0L application list, or essay-research shortlist.