Early law school applicants hit record number, new LSAC data shows
The competition to get into law school keeps getting tougher as the number of applicants to date increased 12% over last year, according to new data from the Law School Admission Council. That increase in applicants follows a 33% increase at this time last year—on top of a 26% increase in 2024.
As of Oct. 14, 15,273 people had applied for admission during this cycle, compared with 13,636 for 2025 and 10,261 in 2024, according to the LSAC.
“While the rate of increase is slowing as the total numbers get larger, the actual number of early applicants is higher than it’s ever been,” said Susan L. Krinsky, the executive vice president for operations and the chief of staff for the LSAC, in an Oct. 15 blog post.
Krinsky added that the number of applications increased 14.6% over last year, and the increase this year aligns with the increase in registrations for the first four administrations of the Law School Admission Test, up 3% over the same period last year and 20% from two years ago.
After more competitive application cycles, applicants tend to apply early the following year, Krinsky wrote, but over the course of the application cycle, numbers of applications typically flatten out. She added that based on prior historical trends, about 15% of the total number of applicants and about 10% of the total number of applications come in during the fall.
“Many individuals cite the current political environment as a factor that has motivated them to go to law school in order to advocate for issues or communities they care about,” she wrote. “The uncertain economic climate and the potential impact of AI and other trends on future employment is another factor—some people view law and advocacy as a field that will continue to grow.”
See also:
Competition for law school admissions expected to remain hot
Law school applications reach record high—again
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