Enrollment and admission standards
Learn about how enrollment rates and admission standards have changed over time.
Law School Enrollment by State, 2010 vs 2022 Comparison
JD enrollment dramatically fell after peaking in 2010. Although JD enrollment has stabilized at new, lower levels, law schools have expanded non-JD programs.
While looking at national enrollment change makes sense because any graduate from an ABA-approved law school can take the bar in any state or territory, two in three employed graduates work in the state/territory in which their law school is located. Total first-year enrollment in each reveals distinct patterns that the national averages smooth over.
Between 2010 and 2022, enrollment in 6 states/territories increased and enrollment in 45 states/territories decreased. For those with an increase, the average was +18.5% and range was +3.6% to +47%. For those with a decrease, the average was -24.6% and range was -6.8% to -69.9%.
2010-2022
The following charts show each state's 1L enrollment between 2010 and 2022 relative (as a percentage) to its largest enrollment in that same period. Hover over the chart to see 1L enrollment during a given year.
For each state, LST aggregates individual school first-year enrollment as reported by the American Bar Association