Published: April 4, 2011

Boulder, Colo. – While other law schools are seeing drops in applications, some as high as double digits, Colorado Law is bucking the trend and enjoying the highest number of applicants in its history.

As of March 15, 2011 Colorado Law had 3160 applications for its three-year, full-time program. The incoming fall class of approximately 180 students will be comprised from these applicants.  This is up 12.7 percent over last year. According to an online story in the April 1 ABA Journal, the average drop in law school applicants nationwide is about 11.5 percent. At Yale Law School, the nation’s No. 1 ranked law school, applications were down 16.5 percent at its March 1 deadline, according to the Yale Daily News.

“Our faculty continues to focus on a quality educational experience that combines theory and practice,” said Dean David Getches. “When you combine that type of education with our student teacher ratio and our relatively low costs, there is a great value in our education. We believe that is what prospective students are seeing when they choose to apply here.”

According to the ABA article, two other law schools reporting drops in applicants are Duke, down 20 percent, and the University of Chicago, down 12 percent.

“Colorado Law has an excellent reputation among lawyers, judges and our academic peers,” said Kristine Jackson, Assistant Dean for Admissions and Financial Aid. “In the February 14 issue of The New Yorker, Malcolm Gladwell ranked Colorado Law School in the top ten when cost was factored into the equation, along with student-faculty ratio, LSAT scores at the seventy-fifth percentile and faculty publishing. 

“For us, we couldn’t be more thrilled because with a larger pool of applicants, we see our median LSAT rise, as well as our median GPA, and our ability to attract visiting professors, etc. These things all combine to make further resources available to our students, which is our ultimate goal: providing a top notch education.” 

About University of Colorado Law SchoolEstablished in 1892, the University of Colorado Law School (www.colorado.edu/law) is a top 25 public law school located at the base of the inspiring Rocky Mountains. Colorado Law’s 500 students, selected from among the statistically best applicants in the nation, represent 100 undergraduate institutions and diverse backgrounds. The school has dual degree programs in business, environmental studies, telecommunications, and public affairs. With a low faculty-to-student ratio, its highly published faculty is dedicated to interacting with students inside and outside the classroom. The school’s 8 clinics and 4 centers focus on areas of strength, including natural resources and environmental, American Indian, juvenile and family, telecommunications policy, and sustainable energy law. Colorado Law’s graduates are leaders in their profession and committed to public interest work.