Inside scoop
Ethan Madore
Penn Carey Law can best be understood in terms of the five Core Strengths that form the basis for its most distinctive Optional Essay prompt (Prompt 1): genuine integration with associated disciplines; transformative, forward-looking faculty scholarship; highly regarded experiential learning through clinics and a pro bono pledge; innovative, hands-on global engagement; and a manifest commitment to professional development and collegiality. Of these Core Strengths, the school’s cross-disciplinarity and collegial culture are particularly defining.
Admissions stats
LSAT vs GPA
Based on 2025 data from ABA
Based on 2025 data from ABA
Your chances
Trends
Based on data from ABA
Based on data from US News and World Report
Based on data from ABA
Based on data from ABA
Why UPenn
Ethan Madore
Given its focus on interdisciplinarity, Penn Law is an especially strong fit if you have a background or interest in business, medicine, public policy, or technology and want your legal education to intersect with another field. Joint degrees with Wharton, the School of Medicine, and other Penn schools are popular and well-supported. Penn also has strong public interest offerings; the pro bono pledge is taken seriously, and its clinical offerings are robust. In addition, its location in Philadelphia gives you access to many opportunities in BigLaw and public interest. (If your sole goal is conventional BigLaw and interdisciplinary study doesn't interest you, Harvard or Columbia may serve you equally well.) The school’s interdisciplinary focus is reflected in the faculty and student body—over 70% of faculty hold graduate degrees in fields other than law, and in recent years, 77% of students have pursued joint degrees or certificates.
Despite its prestige, Penn Law has a distinctly collegial culture. Applicants who’ve spoken to Penn students describe it as unusually warm for an elite law school. Penn Law is also more receptive to international students than several of its peer schools; Michigan, UVA, and Chicago, for instance, skew notably more domestic in their admissions profiles. If you are an international applicant, strong credentials plus a compelling connection to Penn’s Core Strengths (particularly global engagement) will make you more competitive.
Employment
Based on 2024 data from ABA
Based on 2024 data from ABA
Tuition & costs
Demographics
Out of 759 students in 2024, 52% were women, and 51% were racial or ethnic minorities.
Based on 2024 data from ABA
Yes, admission to UPenn is highly competitive. For the 2025 application cycle, the UPenn acceptance rate was 8.05%.
To be a competitive applicant at UPenn, you should aim for an LSAT score around the median of 173 and a GPA of 3.95. The middle 50% of accepted students scored between 167 and 174 on the LSAT.
For the 2025 academic year, UPenn tuition is $78,348 for full-time students. When factoring in the cost of living and additional fees, the total estimated cost of attendance is $116,132 per year.
Yes, UPenn is a highly regarded institution. It is currently ranked #4 in the U.S. News & World Report Best Law Schools rankings for 2026.