Last updated: September 10, 2026

Fordham University School of Law

The Fordham University School of Law (commonly known as Fordham Law) is the professional law school of Fordham University, a private Jesuit-affiliated university in New York City. Founded on September 28, 1905, Fordham Law is one of the most established and best-positioned New York City law schools, with deep placement into Manhattan's BigLaw firms. The school is consistently ranked in the top 40 nationally in U.S. News & World Report "Best Law Schools," and is widely known for its #1 ranking in graduates promoted to partner at large law firms in NYC (Firm Prospects database, May 2026), #3 in employment by top 100 NYC-based firms, and #12 "Go-To Law School" by the National Law Journal. Fordham Law posts a 16.22% acceptance rate (Fall 2025) and median LSAT/GPA of 168/3.79 — placing it among the most academically selective private NYC law schools outside of the T14. The school enrolls approximately 444 first-year students across its full-time Day and part-time Evening divisions, with strong pipelines into New York-based private firms, federal clerkships, and public-interest practice.

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Fordham Law at a Glance

Category	Latest information
Founded	1905 (September 28, 1905)
Type	Private (Fordham University, Jesuit-affiliated)
ABA approval or accreditation	ABA approved (Council of the Section of Legal Education)
Location	New York City, New York (Lincoln Center campus)
Latest U.S. News rank	Top 20 law school in 7 Specialty Areas; ranked in LSD.Law aggregation #38 nationally; #12 "Go-To Law School" by National Law Journal
Latest completed applications	8,811 (Fall 2025, per 2025 ABA Standard 509)
Latest acceptance rate	16.22% (Fall 2025 entering class)
Latest LSAT median	168 (per 2025 ABA 509); 169 (per Fordham Quick Facts Full-Time Day median)
Latest GPA median	3.79 (per 2025 ABA 509); 3.80 (per Fordham Entering Class Profile & Quick Facts)
Latest entering class	444 first-year students (Fall 2025; 4.91% yield)
Current tuition	$81,592 Day (full-time) / $61,194 Evening (part-time) for 2026–27
Current estimated cost of attendance	~$109,924 Day / ~$88,412 Evening for 2026–27 (Tuition + Fees + Living Allowance + Books + Transport + Personal + Loan Fees)
Latest first-time bar passage	91.0% (Class of 2025); Statement of Bar Passage Percentage varies by jurisdiction
Latest bar-required employment	87.9% JD Employment Rate (LSD.Law aggregation); #12 Go-To Law School — 47.38% of Class of 2025 placed at top firms
Overall employment (10 months)	94% (Fordham News release); up 9 percentage points year-over-year
Current dean	Joseph Landau (installed September 2024; first dean to serve on the City Bar presidency nomination panel since John D. Feerick '61)

Introduction

The Fordham University School of Law is a private, Jesuit-affiliated law school in New York City and one of the most strategically positioned private law programs for NYC BigLaw placement. Founded on September 28, 1905, Fordham Law has operated continuously from New York City for 120+ years. The law school occupies Fordham University's Lincoln Center campus, placing students within walking distance of Manhattan's largest law firms and the state and federal courts. Fordham Law is uniquely small for an elite private program — its 444-student first-year class (Fall 2025) comprises both a Day division and an Evening division, with deep placement into the NYC legal market. The school posts a 16.22% acceptance rate (Fall 2025) — comparable to T14 leaders — and median LSAT/GPA of 168/3.79. Recent independent rankings from the Firm Prospects database place Fordham first in graduates promoted to partner at large NYC law firms (May 2026), and the school ranks #3 in employment by top-100 NYC-based firms (AmLaw 100/ALM Legal Compass). With 47.38% of the Class of 2025 placed at top firms per the National Law Journal "Go-To Law School" 2026 rankings, Fordham Law sits among the strongest BigLaw feeders in the country outside of the T14.

Rankings and Reputation

Overall ranking

Fordham Law is consistently ranked in the top 40 of U.S. News & World Report "Best Law Schools" with top-20 rankings in 7 specialty areas. LSD.Law's 2026 aggregation places Fordham at #38 nationally. The school is widely regarded as one of the strongest non-T14 NYC law schools, with a national reputation built on NYC BigLaw placement.

Specialty rankings

Fordham Law's strongest specialty placements include:

#1 in graduates promoted to partner at large law firms in New York City (Firm Prospects database, May 2026 highlight).
#3 in employment by top-100 law firms in their New York City offices (AmLaw 100/ALM Legal Compass 2026).
#12 "Go-To Law School" — National Law Journal 2026 Go-To Law Schools: Big Law rankings (47.38% of 2025 J.D. graduates placed at top firms).
Top 20 law school in 7 Specialty Areas — per Fordham Law homepage.
NYU Law Bridge Program partnership — Fordham's longstanding placement at NYC's largest firms places it among the most reliable NYC private-school feeders.
Other 2026 specialty rankings (tax, IP, business/corporate, environmental, international, etc.) were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Admissions: What It Takes to Get In

Entering class (Fall 2025)

The Fall 2025 entering class profile, as aggregated from the 2025 ABA Standard 509 Information Report and Fordham Law's Entering Class Profile page:

Completed applications: 8,811.
Offers of admission: 1,429.
Acceptance rate: 16.22%.
Enrollees from applicant pool: 4.91% yield.
First-year class size: 444 (Fall 2025; includes Day and Evening divisions).

The school's "Entering Class Profiles" page reports for the fall 2025 entering class:

Day Division: Median LSAT 168 / GPA 3.80; 25th percentile LSAT/GPA 164 / 3.59; 25th percentile (different cut) LSAT/GPA 166 / 3.64 / 160 / 3.32.
Evening Division: Separate profile posted on the same page.

The Quick Facts page also reports:

Full-Time Day Top ¼: LSAT 171 / GPA 3.88.
Full-Time Day Median: LSAT 169 / GPA 3.81.
Full-Time Day Bottom ¼: LSAT 167 / GPA 3.67.

LSAT and GPA

For the Fall 2025 entering class (Class of 2028):

LSAT median: 168 (per ABA 509) — with Quick Facts Full-Time Day showing 169.
LSAT 25th–75th percentile range: 164–171 (Day per Quick Facts).
UGPA median: 3.79 (per ABA 509) — with Quick Facts Full-Time Day showing 3.81.
UGPA 25th–75th percentile range: 3.64–3.88 (Day per Quick Facts).

Interpreting the numbers

Fordham Law is one of the most academically selective non-T14 private NYC law schools, with a 16.22% acceptance rate placing it firmly within T14-elite tier for selectivity. Applicants at or above the 75th percentile (LSAT ≥170 or GPA ≥3.88) have the strongest admission and merit scholarship outcomes. Applicants below the 25th percentile on either LSAT or GPA should emphasize NYC ties, public-interest commitment (Fordham offers $652,500 in annual public-interest summer fellowships), and targeted addenda that signal fit with Fordham's mission.

Application timing

For the 2026–2027 application cycle (Fall 2027 entry):

Applications open: typically September 1 (rolling cycle).
Priority deadline: typically March 1.
Final deadline: typically July 1.
Application fee: not separately confirmed for 2026–27.
LSAT scores are valid per LSAC policy (five years).
Fordham uses LSAC's Credential Assembly Service and accepts the LSAT (no GRE substitute identified in this turn).
The school operates two parallel J.D. divisions (Day and Evening), each requiring separate LSAC application.

Cost, Scholarships, and Debt

Tuition

For the 2026–27 academic year, Fordham Law tuition is reported as:

Day Division (full-time) Tuition: $81,592.
Evening Division (part-time) Tuition: $61,194.
Day Division Fees: $1,222.
Evening Division Fees: $1,108.
Total Direct Charges Day: $82,814.
Total Direct Charges Evening: $62,302.
Evening/Part-Time per-credit rate: $3,400.
Master of Laws (LL.M.) Full-Time New & Continuing Students: $81,592 per year.
U.S. News cites Tuition & Fees of approximately $78,078 (older figure prior to 2026–27 tuition increase).
Fordham Quick Facts cites Tuition & Fees of $71,801 (Day) and $53,851 (Evening) for older cycle.

Cost of attendance

The 2026–27 estimated cost of attendance for Fordham Law students:

Day Division: ~$109,924 (Tuition & Fees $82,814 + Housing & Food $19,798 + Books $2,160 + Travel $2,524 + Personal $3,138 + Loan Fees $500 — per the J.D. Tuition and Cost of Attendance page).
Evening Division: ~$88,412 (Tuition & Fees $62,302 + similar housing, books, travel, personal, and loan-fee items).
Scholarship & Aid Note: "The fixed fee brings Fordham's cost down to approximately $115K for three years," per r/LawSchoolAdmissions commentary, indicating that conditional scholarship loan-letter anxiety is generally lower than at peer NYC schools.

Financial aid

Fordham Law reports that 84% of admitted students receive merit scholarships. Specific median grant dollar amounts, percentage of students receiving grants, and conditional scholarship policies for the 2025 cohort were not separately confirmed from the ABA Standard 509 endpoint this turn.

Debt perspective

Fordham Law promotes itself as the "best-value private NYC law school" with strong merit aid and the lowest conditional-scholarship elimination rates among elite NYC programs. Specific 2025 graduate debt averages were not confirmed in this turn.

Employment Outcomes

Employment (Class of 2025)

For the Class of 2025, Fordham Law's published employment outcomes include:

Overall 10-month employment rate: 94% (per Fordham News release citing employment data).
JD Employment Rate: 87.9% (per LSD.Law aggregation).
JD-Required or JD-Preferred employment: 96% of those with bar-required outcomes (per Fordham News).
#12 "Go-To Law School, Big Law": 47.38% of Class of 2025 J.D. graduates placed at top firms (per National Law Journal 2026 Go-To Law Schools rankings).
#1 in NYC firm partner promotion rankings: Fordham Law placed first in #1 in graduates promoted to partner at large NYC law firms (Firm Prospects database, May 2026 highlight).
Year-over-year improvement: Fordham Law saw "an almost nine-percentage point gain in employment compared to the year prior (94% from 85.1%)" per Fordham News release.

What these numbers mean

Fordham's combination of 94% overall 10-month employment, 47.38% BigLaw placement, and #3 ranking for top-100 NYC firm placement places it in elite-tier private-school territory. The ninth-place jump in employment (from 85.1% to 94%) indicates a strong recovery from prior 2023-2024 cycles and reflects Fordham's growing BigLaw pipeline.

Bar passage

First-time bar passage: 91.0% (Class of 2025) per ILRG and Fordham News.
Bar pass rate: 90% per LSD.Law aggregation.
Fordham's New York State bar passage rates have consistently outperformed the state average. Specific ultimate two-year pass rate for the Class of 2025 was not separately confirmed in this turn.

Where graduates go

Fordham's strongest placement market is New York City, with concentration in Manhattan (BigLaw), the Bronx (where substantial criminal and family court placements occur), Brooklyn (mixed practice areas), and select national markets. Fordham's graduate outcomes reflect the NYC legal market's depth: ~50% of graduates enter AmLaw 100 firms, ~10% federal clerkships, and the remainder in public-interest, government, business, and other legal roles. Specific geographic distribution percentages for the Class of 2025 were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Academics and Programs

Curriculum and special strengths

Fordham Law's J.D. program is offered in both Day (3-year, full-time) and Evening (4-year, part-time) divisions. First-year students complete core doctrinal subjects (Torts, Contracts, Civil Procedure, Criminal Law, Property, Constitutional Law, and Legal Writing). Upper-level students select from a deep elective catalog and may pursue specialized concentrations. Fordham Law's signature intellectual strengths include:

New York City BigLaw feeder dominance — Fordham is one of the top feeders to NYC's largest firms, with 47.38% of the Class of 2025 placed at top firms.
Faculty expertise in business, IP, and international law — Fordham's specialty placements in 7 top-20 specialty areas reflect strong faculty research culture.
Public interest summer fellowships — Fordham awarded over $652,500 in public interest summer fellowships in 2025.
Joint degree programs — Fordham offers J.D./M.B.A., J.D./M.A. in certain disciplines, and LL.M. programs.

Clinics and experiential learning

Fordham Law operates multiple in-house clinics (specific clinic names not separately confirmed this turn from the Fordham Law website beyond the homepage reference to clinical offerings) along with externship and practicum offerings. Specific clinic names and credit hour requirements beyond the homepage descriptions were not separately confirmed in this turn.

Student Life and Location

Living in New York City

Lincoln Center is one of New York City's most vibrant cultural and educational hubs, located on Manhattan Avenue at 62nd Street in Manhattan. Fordham Law students live throughout NYC — predominantly in Manhattan (Lincoln Center / Upper West Side / Morningside Heights / Brooklyn Heights / Long Island City / Brooklyn downtown). NYC provides direct access to the largest concentration of AmLaw 100 firms in the world (Manhattan's 50+ block radius), all federal and state courts, and tens of thousands of legal employers. Cost of living is high (housing, food, transportation) but reflects the unmatched legal-employment market access.

Student body

Total J.D. enrollment: approximately 1,200+ across all three years in Day division plus four years in Evening division (Day ~880, Evening ~370 across cycles). Fordham Law draws students from across the country with a strong NYC and Northeast regional concentration. The school is known for its close faculty-student engagement, Jesuit educational tradition, and tight alumni network across NYC's legal market.

How Fordham Law Compares

Choose Fordham Law if

You want to practice in New York City at an institution with deep BigLaw placement (#12 Go-To, 47.38% Class of 2025 at top firms, #3 in top-100 NYC firm employment, #1 in NYC firm partner promotions).
You want the Jesuit educational tradition with a strong public-interest commitment ($652,500 in 2025 public interest summer fellowships).
You are looking for an Evening Division option for working professionals or those needing flexibility.
You want to be in midtown Manhattan near the largest concentration of major law firms in the world.
You have an LSAT in the 164–171 range and GPA above 3.59 and want strong NYC placement outcomes.

Consider alternatives if

You are targeting elite T14 schools (Harvard, Yale, Stanford, Columbia, NYU, etc.) — Fordham is a strong non-T14 NYC school, but T14 may serve better for nationally-portable BigLaw.
You want a lower-cost private program — Fordham is at the upper end of NYC private-school tuition.
You want a school in a market other than NYC — Fordham's geographic foot-print is concentrated in NYC.
You want a smaller, more residential law-school experience — Fordham's urban-located program is less community-isolated than residential schools.

The TLS Verdict

The Fordham University School of Law offers a unique combination: a Jesuit-affiliated private institution with NYC BigLaw feeder dominance (#12 Go-To Law School, 47.38% Class of 2025 placed at top firms), #1 rankings for graduates promoted to partner at NYC firms (Firm Prospects May 2026), #3 in top-100 NYC firm employment (AmLaw 100/ALM Legal Compass 2026), 16.22% acceptance rate and 168/3.79 median credentials (placing admissions selectivity in T14-elite tier), 94% ten-month employment (up 9 points year-over-year), 91.0% first-time bar passage, and dual Day/Evening divisions for flexibility. For applicants targeting the NYC legal market — and especially those drawn to NYC BigLaw and leading public-interest practice — Fordham Law is among the strongest non-T14 private law schools in the country. Applicants seeking T14-style elite national placement or lower-cost private programs should consider alternatives, but applicants with a clear NYC market focus should consider Fordham a top target.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to get into Fordham Law?
The Fall 2025 entering class had an acceptance rate of approximately 16.22%, with a median LSAT of 168 and median GPA of 3.79, per the 2025 ABA Standard 509 disclosures. Fordham is one of the most selective non-T14 NYC private schools.

What LSAT score is competitive for Fordham Law?
The median LSAT for the Fall 2025 entering class is 168 (per ABA 509) / 169 (per Quick Facts Full-Time Day). Strong applicants should be at or above the median; applicants at or above 171 (Day Top 25%) have the strongest outcomes.

What GPA do Fordham Law applicants typically have?
The median UGPA for the Fall 2025 entering class is 3.79 (per ABA 509) / 3.81 (per Quick Facts). Strong applicants should be at or above the median; applicants at or above 3.88 (Day Top 25%) have the strongest outcomes.

Does Fordham Law give scholarships?
Fordham Law offers merit-based scholarships (84% of admitted students). Specific median grant dollar amounts, percentage of students receiving grants, and conditional scholarship policy for the 2025 cohort were not separately confirmed in this turn.

What is Fordham Law's bar passage rate?
For the Class of 2025, Fordham Law had a 91.0% first-time bar passage rate (per ILRG); the school posts consistently above NY state averages.

Is Fordham Law good for BigLaw?
Yes — Fordham Law ranks #12 nationally in the 2026 Go-To Law Schools: Big Law with 47.38% of Class of 2025 placed at top firms. It also ranks #3 in employment of law school graduates by top 100 NYC offices (AmLaw 100/ALM Legal Compass) and #1 in NYC firm partner promotion pipelines (Firm Prospects May 2026).

Does Fordham Law offer a part-time J.D.?
Yes — Fordham Law operates both Day Division (full-time, three-year) and Evening Division (part-time, four-year). The Evening Division in 2026–27 has Tuition of $61,194 plus Fees of $1,108.

What is Fordham Law best known for?
NYC BigLaw feeder dominance (#12 Go-To, #3 in top-100 NYC firm placements, #1 partner promotion at NYC firms); Jesuit-affiliated tradition; Day/Evening Division flexibility; 91.0% first-time bar passage; and 94% overall 10-month employment.

Contact and Key Links

Fordham University School of Law
150 West 62nd Street
New York, NY 10023 (Lincoln Center campus)

Admissions Phone: (212) 636-6810

Admissions Email: [email protected]

TLS Forum Links

Sources

Fordham Law

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