The following is a breakdown of ABA 2015 applicants and applications by region (based on data received through 1/02/15) and the percent change from last year:
| Region | Applicants | Applications | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| # | Pct Chg | # | Pct Chg | |
| [Far West]() | 2,310 | -12.1% | 17,815 | -11.8% |
| [Great Lakes]() | 2,393 | -8.2% | 18,016 | -11.9% |
| [Midsouth]() | 2,221 | -6.6% | 23,704 | -11.4% |
| [Midwest]() | 602 | -4.7% | 3,552 | -5.9% |
| [Mountain West]() | 863 | -3.1% | 3,018 | -5.8% |
| [New England]() | 806 | -12.4% | 10,380 | -11.8% |
| [Northeast]() | 2,963 | -10.4% | 21,972 | -10.6% |
| [Northwest]() | 485 | -14.0% | 2,109 | -20.2% |
| [South Central]() | 1,683 | -6.3% | 6,638 | -8.3% |
| [Southeast]() | 2,227 | -13.0% | 9,052 | -10.9% |
| Regional Total | 16,553 | -9.5% | ||
| Other* | 953 | 1.1% | ||
| Total | 17,506 | -9.0% | 116,256 | -11.1% |
Last year at this time, we had 35% of the preliminary final applicant count.
Thirty-three schools show an increase in applications, while 165 show a decline and 4 show no change. The full report:
Increase of 100% or more: 1
Increase of 50% to 99%: 3
Increase of 40% to 49%: -
Increase of 30% to 39%: 1
Increase of 20% to 29%: 4
Increase of 10% to 19%: 4
Increase of 1% to 9%: 20
No change: 4
Decrease of 1% to 9%: 53
Decrease of 10% to 19%: 53
Decrease of 20% to 29%: 41
Decrease of 30% or greater: 18
Applications to private institutions are down 11.0%, while applications to public law schools are down 10.6%.
The following is a breakdown of 2015 ABA applicants by racial/ethnic groups and the percent change from last year.
| Race/Ethnicity | Applicants | |
|---|---|---|
| # | Pct Chg | |
| Aboriginal or Torres Strait Islander Australian | 0 | N/A |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 317 | -11.7% |
| Asian | 2,030 | -10.9% |
| Black or African American | 1,966 | -10.6% |
| Canadian Aboriginal | 11 | -31.3% |
| Caucasian/White | 11,825 | -9.4% |
| Hispanic/Latino | 1,722 | -1.4% |
| Native Hawaiian or Other Pacific Islander | 59 | -20.3% |
| Puerto Rican | 313 | -8.5% |
| Not Indicated | 635 | -1.2% |
| Missing | 1 | -75.0% |
The following is a breakdown of 2015 ABA law school applicants by gender groups:
Female applicants: 8,840, down 7.7%
Male applicants: 8,647, down 10.3%
Not indicated: 19, up 72.7%
The chart below shows the high LSAT score of 2015 ABA applicants with the percent change from last year:
| Highest LSAT | Number of Applicants | Pct Chg YTD |
|---|---|---|
| < 140 | 862 | -11.1% |
| 140–144 | 1,122 | -9.4% |
| 145–149 | 1,961 | -3.1% |
| 150–154 | 2,957 | -7.5% |
| 155–159 | 3,348 | -10.6% |
| 160–164 | 3,269 | -5.9% |
| 165–169 | 2,449 | -13.9% |
| 170–174 | 1,349 | -11.7% |
| 175–180 | 372 | -20.0% |
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