List of law school GPA curves

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

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.[1]

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

Contents

[hide]

[edit] The List

Law School Median GPA (from highest to lowest)
The Ohio State University Moritz College of Law 2.7 [2]
University of Texas School of Law 3.35 [3]
Stanford Law School 3.4 [4]
Cornell Law School 3.35 [5]
Washington and Lee University School of Law 3.335 [6]
Northwestern University School of Law 3.26 [7]
Brigham Young University J. Reuben Clark Law School 3.3 [8]
Duke University School of Law 3.3 [9]
Georgetown University Law Center 3.17 [10]
University of Virginia Law School 3.3 [11]
University of Minnesota Law School 3.247-3.311 [12]
University of Southern California School of Law 3.2 [13]
University of Illinois College of Law 3.2[14] 1st year mean
median unknown
University of Michigan Law School 3.19[15] 1st year mean
median unknown
Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law 3.072 [16]
Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law 3.042 [17]
University of San Diego School of Law 2.95-3.05 [18]
Pennsylvania State University - Dickinson School of Law 2.9-3.1 [19]
University of Wisconsin Law School 2.85-3.1 [20]
Temple University Beasley School of Law 2.85 [21]
University of San Francisco School of Law 2.731-2.995 [22]
University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law 2.68
Vermont Law School 2.67
Saint Louis University School of Law 2.644-2.898 [23] [24] [25]
Texas Wesleyan University School of Law 3.0 [26]
Southern Illinois University School of Law 2.55-2.8 [27]
Appalachian School of Law 2.5-2.667 [28]
University of Tulsa School of Law 2.5-2.667 [29]
Widener University School of Law 2.3-2.75 [30]
William Mitchell College of Law 2.67 [31]
University of Wyoming College of Law 3.0-2.6
University of Idaho College of Law 2.7 [32]
North Carolina Central University School of Law 1.67-2.33 [33]

[edit] Not ranked

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

[edit] Notes

  1. ^ Barbara Glesner Fines, University of Missouri-Kansas City School of Law, "Competition and the Curve," 65 UMKC L. Rev. (1997); see also "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.").
  2. ^ Moritz Law 2006 rankings Moritz Law Registrar
  3. ^ UT OCS
  4. ^ Stanford OCS
  5. ^ Cornell OCS
  6. ^ W&L Admissions
  7. ^ Northwestern Acadmics
  8. ^ BYU Policies and Procedures
  9. ^ Duke OCS
  10. ^ Georgetown Faculty
  11. ^ Virginia website
  12. ^ Minnesota Quartiles
  13. ^ USC Handbook
  14. ^ Illinois Academic Policy Handbook
  15. ^ Michigan Registrar
  16. ^ Cardozo OCS
  17. ^ SMU OCS
  18. ^ Grading
  19. ^ Penn State Dickinson School of Law - www.dsl.psu.edu
  20. ^ Wisconsin Students
  21. ^ Temple University Class Rank Report
  22. ^[citation needed]
  23. ^ SLU First Year Rankings
  24. ^ SLU Second Year Rankings
  25. ^ SLU Third Year Rankings
  26. ^ Texas Wesleyan University - Home
  27. ^ Southern Illinois University School of Law Rules
  28. ^ http://www.asl.edu/documents/standards.pdf
  29. ^ The University of Tulsa College of Law
  30. ^ [http://www.law.widener.edu/departments/career_development/statistics/
  31. ^ [http://http://www.wmitchell.edu/publications/handbook/0708/Student-Handbook-2007-08.pdf
  32. ^ No Grade Inflation at Idaho
  33. ^ NCCU
  34. ^ Grading Policy, law.berkeley.edu, access March 22, 2007
  35. ^ Columbia Law School: Grading, accessed March 22,2007
  36. ^ HLS Grading System, accessed March 22, 2007
  37. ^ Memorandum to the faculty, September 2006, accessed March 22, 2007
  38. ^ Yale Law School | Grades, accessed March 22, 2007
  39. ^ New York University School of Law | Grades & Academic Standards (J.D. & LL.M.), accessed August 19, 2007
  40. ^ New York University School of Law | Grades & Academic Standards (J.D. & LL.M.), accessed August 19, 2007
  41. ^ [http://law.nd.edu/careers/for-employers/grading-policy | Notre Dame Law School Grading Policy, accessed June 2, 2008

[edit] See also