Last updated: August 28, 2026

Georgetown University Law Center

Georgetown University Law Center (commonly "Georgetown Law") is the law school of Georgetown University, a private, Jesuit-affiliated research university in Washington, D.C. Founded in 1870, it is the largest J.D.-granting law school in the United States and sits on Capitol Hill, two blocks from the U.S. Capitol, giving it an unmatched position in national politics, government and international law.

Georgetown Law at a Glance

Category	Latest information
Founded	1870
Type	Private (Jesuit-affiliated university)
ABA approval or accreditation	ABA approved; member, Association of American Law Schools
Location	Washington, D.C. (Capitol Hill and downtown campuses)
Latest U.S. News rank	#18 (2026 edition; school does not participate in the survey)
Latest completed applications	13,924 (Fall 2025)
Latest acceptance rate	15.75% (2,193 offers)
Latest LSAT median	171 (25th 166 – 75th 173)
Latest GPA median	3.93 (25th 3.75 – 75th 3.98)
Latest entering class	672 (full- and part-time)
Current tuition	$87,588 (2026–27, full-time J.D.)
Current estimated cost of attendance	$117,481 (third-party estimate; school publishes a component budget)
Latest first-time bar passage	93.1% (most recent ABA cycle; 95.7% ultimate)
Latest bar-required employment	88.9% full-time, long-term (Class of 2025)
Current dean	Liz Magill (17th dean, effective August 1, 2026)

Introduction

Founded in 1870, Georgetown Law has grown into the country's largest law school by J.D. enrollment — 2,266 students per the 2025 ABA Standard 509 Report — including the largest evening/part-time program of any top-tier school. The Law Center occupies two campuses in Washington, D.C.: the Capitol Hill campus (600 New Jersey Avenue NW) and a downtown campus (500 First Street NW). It is known for constitutional law, international law, tax, health law and one of the deepest clinical programs in the nation. A traditional "T14" school, Georgetown dropped out of the U.S. News data-submission process in November 2022, following Yale and Harvard.

Rankings and Reputation

Overall ranking

U.S. News (2026 edition) ranks Georgetown #18, down from #14 — its first fall of that magnitude in recent years (per The Hoya). The Law Center has not participated in the U.S. News survey since November 2022, and the ranking is computed from publicly disclosed data. Official profile: U.S. News profile

Specialty rankings

Georgetown is consistently recognized for constitutional law, international law, tax law, health law and clinical training; its location makes it the default destination for students seeking government, regulatory and public-interest careers in Washington. The Supreme Court Institute, which hosts moot arguments for advocates appearing before the U.S. Supreme Court, anchors its national-policy reputation.

Admissions: What It Takes to Get In

Entering class (Fall 2025)

Georgetown received 13,924 completed applications (Fall 2025) — among the highest volume in the nation — and made 2,193 offers, a 15.75% acceptance rate. 629 applicants enrolled from the pool (a 28.68% yield from offers), and the total first-year class of 672 includes the part-time evening division.

LSAT and GPA

Fall 2025 enrollees: LSAT median 171 (25th 166 / 75th 173); UGPA median 3.93 (25th 3.75 / 75th 3.98), per the 2025 ABA Standard 509 Report.

Interpreting the numbers

Georgetown's acceptance rate is higher than most T14 peers despite strong medians, because the applicant pool and the class are both very large. A below-median LSAT/GPA does not foreclose admission, particularly for applicants with D.C.-relevant experience, public-interest commitments or part-time-program interest. Yield is modest (~29%), reflecting competition from schools with stronger merit-aid packages.

Application timing

Applications open September 1, 2026, with a strongly recommended deadline of March 1–2, 2027; review is rolling and an Early Decision option is available. The application fee is $85 per the 2025 509 Report (the school lists $90 for the 2027 cycle); fee waivers are available. Programs: full-time J.D., part-time/evening J.D., and joint degrees with Georgetown graduate schools. Official links: J.D. Admissions · Fall 2025 1L Facts & Stats · Dates & Deadlines

Cost, Scholarships, and Debt

Tuition

$87,588 for the 2026–27 academic year for the full-time J.D. program (up from $83,576 in 2025–26, a ~4.8% increase).

Cost of attendance

School-published 2026–27 budget components: books $1,599; basic living expenses $27,798; personal expenses $3,735. Georgetown had not published a single 2026–27 total cost-of-attendance figure at the time of writing; a third-party estimate is $117,481 (CompareLawSchools).

Financial aid

Per the 2025 Standard 509 Report (2024–25 aid year): 1,348 of 2,266 J.D. students (61%) received grants; grant amounts — 25th percentile $25,000, median $35,000, 75th percentile $47,500. Conditional scholarships are not awarded (no conditional-scholarship worksheet posted).

Debt perspective

Georgetown is among the most expensive law schools in the country once Washington, D.C. living costs are included; the financial-aid office publishes detailed need-based budgeting worksheets. Public-interest LRAP-style support exists, though loan-repayment terms were not verified in this review. Official links: Tuition & Cost of Attendance · Financial Aid

Employment Outcomes

Employment (Class of 2025)

Class-of-2025 figures from ABA-compiled data: 568 graduates secured bar-passage-required positions and the overall employment rate was 95.09% (CompareLawSchools); the full-time, long-term bar-required rate was 88.9% (ILRG, #33 nationally). BigLaw placement (firms of 501+ attorneys) is estimated at 52–60% of the class (HeyFutureLawyer). Georgetown's official ABA Employment Summary for the Class of 2025 is posted at its ABA Required Disclosures page.

What these numbers mean

National context: of 36,206 ABA graduates in the Class of 2025, 82.7% secured long-term, full-time legal jobs and 8.8% were underemployed (LawHub/ABA); aggregate placement was ~82.5% (Derek Muller analysis). Georgetown's percentages sit above those baselines, and because the class is the largest among top schools, even middle-tier percentages translate into very large absolute numbers of BigLaw and federal placements.

Bar passage

First-time bar passage 93.1% versus a ~83.3% average for first-time takers across states; ultimate (two-year) passage 95.7% (U.S. News, most recent ABA reporting cycle). Georgetown students sit for the bar in many jurisdictions — primarily New York and D.C., plus home states — so single-jurisdiction figures vary by cohort.

Where graduates go

The dominant markets are Washington, D.C. and New York, with the widest placement breadth of any T14 school: federal government, Capitol Hill, public interest, international organizations, federal clerkships and large firms. No other top school places comparable shares of a class that size into D.C.-based legal markets.

Academics and Programs

Curriculum and special strengths

A first-year program with a strong constitutional-law tradition and an upper-level menu spanning 50+ curricular concentrations — the largest course catalog of any U.S. law school. Flagship strengths: constitutional, international, tax, health and national-security law.

Clinics and experiential learning

One of the nation's largest clinical programs, including flagship clinics in appellate litigation, criminal defense, domestic violence, international human rights and tax, plus a uniquely deep set of D.C.-based policy and government externships. Degrees offered: full-time and part-time J.D.; LL.M., S.J.D., joint degrees and certificates of specialization. Official link: Academics

Student Life and Location

Living in Washington, D.C.

The Capitol Hill campus sits two blocks from the U.S. Capitol; the downtown campus sits adjacent to the law firms and agencies of the city center. No other law school offers comparable daily access to Congress, the federal courts, executive agencies and the Bar of the District of Columbia.

Student body

The largest J.D. student body in the country (2,266), with a Fall 2025 entering class of 672 that includes a substantial part-time evening contingent of working professionals — unique among top-tier schools. Hundreds of student organizations, a politically active culture and an alumni network concentrated in government, politics and D.C. practice.

How Georgetown Compares

Choose Georgetown if

You want government, politics, international, regulatory or D.C. legal markets; you want a part-time/evening path; you value the widest curriculum, the largest alumni footprint and unmatched Washington placement.

Consider alternatives if

Your primary goal is the highest-percentage elite BigLaw placement (e.g., NYU, Duke, Michigan), a smaller class, or a more portable national brand outside D.C. At $87,588 tuition plus Washington living costs, Georgetown's total outlay rivals Columbia and NYU — compare aid offers carefully.

The TLS Verdict

Georgetown remains the singular law school for students who want Washington itself to be part of their legal education. The size of the class and the school's withdrawal from U.S. News data submission have made it a value debate within the T14 conversation, but its clinical depth, part-time program and government/public-interest pipeline have no close equivalent. Applicants weighing BigLaw outcomes should compare offers against peer schools; applicants targeting D.C. and public service should place Georgetown near the top of their lists.

Frequently Asked Questions

How hard is it to get into Georgetown Law?

Selective but the most accessible T14 on raw numbers: 15.75% of 13,924 applicants were offered admission for Fall 2025.

What LSAT score is competitive for Georgetown?

The Fall 2025 median was 171; the middle 50% ran from 166 to 173.

What GPA do Georgetown applicants typically have?

The Fall 2025 median UGPA was 3.93; the middle 50% ran from 3.75 to 3.98.

Does Georgetown give scholarships?

Yes — 61% of J.D. students receive grants, with a median grant of $35,000 (25th $25,000 / 75th $47,500). Conditional scholarships are not awarded.

What is Georgetown's bar passage rate?

93.1% first-time and 95.7% ultimate (two-year) in the most recent ABA reporting cycle.

Is Georgetown good for BigLaw?

Yes — roughly 52–60% of the Class of 2025 placed into firms of 501+ attorneys, plus 568 graduates in bar-passage-required positions overall.

Does Georgetown offer a part-time J.D.?

Yes — one of the largest part-time/evening programs in the country, unique among top-tier law schools.

What is Georgetown Law best known for?

Washington, D.C. itself: constitutional, international, tax and health law; the largest clinical program in the nation; and an unmatched government, politics and public-interest pipeline.

Contact and Key Links

Official links

TLS Forum Links

Sources

Georgetown Law

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