What is the average salary at Cornell Law School?

Asked by: Linwood Marvin IV  |  Last update: May 16, 2026
Score: 5/5 (18 votes)

The median private-sector salary for recent Cornell Law School graduates is $225,000, with nearly 99% employment within ten months of graduation, reflecting strong career outcomes, particularly in high-paying law firm roles.

What is the median salary at Cornell Law School?

The median private-sector salary for Cornell Law graduates is $215,000.

How much do Ivy League law schools graduates make?

The median annual earnings among graduates who were working and not enrolled four years after completion is over $200,000 at each of the five Ivy League schools offering advanced law degrees, according to data compiled by the Higher Education Advisory group.

How prestigious is Cornell Law?

Cornell University 2025 Law & Specialties Rankings

Cornell University is ranked No. 18 (tie) out of 195 in Best Law Schools.

What is the average salary out of Yale Law School?

The average starting salary of graduates working for firms in the Class of 2024 was $210,068. Yale Law School alumni work in law firms around the world. 194 Yale Law School alumni serve in leadership positions within their firms, including 16 firm-wide managing partners.

Open Doors to a Career in Law - Cornell Law School

23 related questions found

Do lawyers make $500,000 a year?

Yes, many lawyers earn $500,000 or more annually, especially partners at large firms, top corporate lawyers, or specialized trial attorneys, but it's not typical for the average lawyer, whose median salary is much lower, requiring significant experience, specialization (like IP or M&A), and business acumen to reach that high income level.
 

What was Obama's LSAT score?

Barack Obama's specific LSAT score has never been officially released, but it's widely believed to have been very high, likely in the 170-175 range, to gain admission to Harvard Law School with a relatively low undergraduate GPA. Analysts suggest he needed a score in the top percentiles (perhaps 94th-98th) to overcome his lower GPA and secure a spot at the prestigious institution, indicating a strong performance near the perfect 180 score. 

Is brown or Cornell harder to get into?

It's extremely difficult to get into either Brown or Cornell, but Brown typically has a slightly lower acceptance rate, making it statistically harder, though both are highly selective Ivies where the difference is minimal and dependent on the year and specific programs. Cornell's vast size and diverse colleges (like Agriculture or Industrial & Labor Relations) sometimes offer easier entry into specific programs, while Brown's focus on its open curriculum and unique vibe means high selectivity across the board, with recent rates often hovering around 5-9%. 

What are the big 3 law schools?

The "Big Three" law schools traditionally refer to Yale, Harvard, and Stanford, known for their extreme selectivity, prestige, and leading placement in BigLaw, though rankings shift, with Chicago, Columbia, and NYU often forming an adjacent elite tier (T-14) with strong BigLaw outcomes. These top schools, especially Yale, Harvard, and Stanford, consistently boast the lowest acceptance rates and attract the most top-tier applicants for lucrative careers in large law firms, academia, or federal clerkships. 

Is Cornell Law elite?

And we like it that way. With about 600 J.D. students, Cornell Law is a close-knit, collegial community of learners. We like to think of ourselves as serious, but not stuffy. Elite, but not elitist.

How much do the top 10% lawyers make?

Average Salary for Attorney at Law

Attorney at Law in America make an average salary of $89,183 per year or $42.88 per hour. The top 10 percent makes over $117,000 per year, while the bottom 10 percent under $76,958 per year.

What is the average debt after law school?

The average law school graduate owes $130,000 in student loan debt. 71% of law school students graduate in debt. $119,292 is the average amount students borrow just to attend law school. $92,267 is the average amount borrowed to attend one of the top 10 law schools in terms of salary-to-debt ratio.

What percent of lawyers make over 100K?

The percentage of lawyers earning over $100K varies based on industry data, but studies suggest that around 50-60% of attorneys reach this benchmark. However, salaries differ widely based on experience, practice area, and geographic location.

Does Goldman Sachs hire from Cornell?

Goldman Sachs and other large companies have been known to heavily recruit potential employees from the Ivy Leagues, and Cornell is considered a target school for investment banking.

What is the hardest major to get into Cornell?

The hardest major to get into Cornell depends on the year and applicant pool, but the Dyson School of Applied Economics and Management, College of Engineering, and College of Architecture, Art, and Planning (AAP) are consistently among the most selective, with Dyson often having the lowest acceptance rates (around 5-8%), followed closely by Engineering and AAP (around 8-12%), requiring exceptional portfolios for architecture or high stats for engineering. 

What is the happiest law school?

1 in Best Quality of Life, Best Professors, Best Classroom Experience | University of Virginia School of Law.

What is the #1 law firm in America?

There's no single "number 1" law firm, as rankings vary by criteria (revenue, prestige, size, practice area), but Kirkland & Ellis, Latham & Watkins, and Baker McKenzie consistently appear at the top for revenue/size, while firms like Cravath and Wachtell Lipton are top for prestige/profitability, according to sources like Vault, Wikipedia, IE, and Vault. 

What is the toughest law school to get into?

The hardest law schools to get into consistently include Yale, Stanford, Harvard, and the University of Chicago, known for extremely low acceptance rates (often under 10-15%) and requiring exceptional LSAT scores (median 170+) and GPAs (median 3.9+) for admitted students, alongside holistic review processes. Other highly selective schools are Columbia, UPenn, Duke, Northwestern, and UVA, making up the top tier with fierce competition for limited spots. 

What is the easiest public ivy to get into?

Top 3 Easiest Ivy League Schools To Get Into

  • Top 3 Easiest Ivy League Schools To Get Into. Cornell University. ...
  • Dartmouth College. Hanover, New Hampshire.
  • University of Pennsylvania. Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
  • The Top 3 Hardest Ivy League Schools To Get Into. Harvard University. ...
  • Columbia University. ...
  • Yale University.

Is Duke or Cornell harder to get into?

Based on recent acceptance rates, Duke is generally harder to get into than Cornell, with Duke often having a lower acceptance rate (around 5-6%) compared to Cornell (which, as an Ivy League, is very competitive but typically higher than Duke's). Both are highly selective, top-tier universities, but Duke's overall selectivity usually edges out Cornell, although specific program competitiveness varies significantly. 

Who is Cornell's biggest rival?

Cornell's biggest rival depends on the sport, but Harvard is a major rival in hockey and basketball, while Penn (the Quakers) is the primary rival in football, with both competing for the Trustees' Cup in a historic series. Columbia is another significant football rival, playing for the Empire Cup, and Princeton is a top rival in lacrosse.
 

Did Kim Kardashian pass the LSAT?

That said, the question about what the “Kim Kardashian LSAT score” was, or if she even took the LSAT ends in a resounding no. This unconventional choice has sparked conversations about making legal education more accessible and exploring diverse paths in the legal profession.

What did Ben Affleck get on his SAT?

Ben Affleck reportedly had a "near-perfect" or "almost perfect" SAT score, rumored to be 1600, on the old 1600-point scale, though the exact score isn't officially confirmed, with sources citing sources like the New York Times on his high aptitude despite poor high school attendance.
 

Did Michelle Obama pass the bar?

Yes, Michelle Obama failed the Illinois bar exam on her first attempt after graduating from Harvard Law School, but she retook it, passed, and was admitted to the Illinois bar in 1989, going on to have a successful legal career. She is one of several prominent figures, including Hillary Clinton and Franklin D. Roosevelt, who initially failed the bar exam before achieving great success.