Our Students
Duke Law attracts students from around the world who are incredibly smart, insatiably curious, and committed to excellence.
Through a wide variety of student organizations, seven journals, and a full slate of student-planned conferences and events, Duke Law students contribute to an academic environment that values creativity, encourages collaboration, and stresses professional development.
The students making up the class of 2025 come from 35 different U.S. states and territories and nine other countries. They represent 109 different undergraduate institutions, and many have earned graduate degrees in other disciplines. Their backgrounds include science, teaching, education, entertainment, the arts, politics, public policy, government, business, technology, sports, and non-profit sector work.
The class of 2025 is among the most diverse in school history. Students of color account for 44% class, the highest the Law School has ever achieved, including record percentages of Latinx and Asian American students. More than one-quarter are the first in their family to go to college or professional school, and 10% are international students. Twenty-two percent reported that they identify as LGBTQ+. And for the fifth year in a row, women comprise more than half of Duke Law’s entering JD class. Another 1% identify as non-binary.
- Median GPA: 3.85
- GPA 25/75 percentiles: 3.73/3.94
- Median LSAT: 170
- LSAT 25/75 percentiles: 168/171
- 225 students enrolled from 6,250 applicants
- Average age: 24 (ages range from 21 to 55)
- Have post-college experience: 70%
- Hold a graduate degree: 10%
- Women: 54%, Men: 44% Nonbinary: 1%
- Total Students of Color: 44%
Duke Law’s curriculum begins with a slate of first-year courses designed to instill foundational knowledge in core concepts and strong legal writing and analytical skills. Upper level courses are designed to deepen legal skills and strengthen understanding of how the law informs and changes the world around us. Our goal is to provide students with the resources and tools needed to design their own curricular path—a path that excites, challenges, and prepares students for success and leadership in the law.
Many Duke Law students choose to pursue a dual degree. Duke is the only elite law school in the country that allows students to earn both a law degree and a master's degree in three years. Professional dual degree programs are four years long. The program allows for maximum flexibility by encouraging students to chart a course of specialized study.
Leadership is a critical component of a Duke Law education and a fully engaged life in the law. Our “Blueprint to LEAD” outlines the values we think are critical for leadership, and we incorporate these ideals into our curriculum, programs and interactions with each other. By articulating these ideals and living them, by supporting and encouraging creativity, and by giving students the tools needed to accomplish their goals, we set students on course to achieve extraordinary things.