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International applicants face unique challenges when it comes to applying to U.S. law schools. They have fewer LSAT administrations available, may need to submit TOEFL scores, and often do not have a convertible GPA. This presents a parallel challenge to law schools, which are attempting to compare and evaluate applicants when they don’t have the same information about everyone. As a result of this and several other important factors, including the relative difficulty international students face in securing employment in the U.S., some top law schools are more cautious about accepting international applicants. In contrast, other schools are what I term “citizenship-neutral,” where your international applicant status does not meaningfully change your likelihood of acceptance compared to domestic applicants.
Using self-reported LSD.law data from the last three cycles, each school falls into one of four tiers. Tier 1 schools prioritize domestic applicants the most, and Tier 4 schools evaluate domestic and international applicants with minimal prioritization.
International Applicant Neutrality Tier List*
*based on 2021/22-2023/24 cycles
For the current cycle, we have seen massive increases in applications, making it more challenging across the board for those vying for admission to the top law schools. That being said, many international applicants have sensed they are being particularly disadvantaged. There could be many reasons for this, but the clearest are the employment factor mentioned above and the uncertainty about whether international students will be able to obtain student visas at the same rate as in the past. This uncertainty, coupled with the overall rise in high LSAT applicants, may have led some schools to admit students they believe are more likely to matriculate in the fall and have the best chance of securing legal jobs after graduation. Since the cycle is still ongoing, particularly for waitlisted applicants, I will only provide general trends regarding the fifteen law schools on our tier list. Keep in mind that this cycle is more challenging for everyone, so this table indicates how much more challenging it has been for international students relative to domestic students.
Relative Difficulty of 2024-2025 Cycle for International and Domestic Students
This preliminary data suggests that, in what is already a difficult cycle, international applicants have faced challenges above and beyond those of domestic applicants at the majority of top law schools. Additionally, we also see a larger relative increase in the use of the waitlist for international students compared to domestic students, suggesting attempts to hedge against uncertainty.
For current cycle applicants, there is still time remaining. International students often play a very important role in how schools shape their classes. Nearly all schools will use their waitlist to some degree. Don’t be dismayed if you are facing a large number of waitlists, as you are far from alone in this experience. Ensure you follow all school instructions on how to express your continued interest in attending. Waitlist movement begins in earnest only after seat deposit deadlines pass, so be prepared for the coming weeks.
For future cycle international applicants, use this tier list as a starting point, not a strict rulebook. The tiers aren’t set in stone and will change over time, and data from this cycle may cause schools to move up or down this list. Each and every school on this list admits international applicants, and submitting a strong application is essential no matter what. Admissions can become more tricky for international students, so it is important to prepare strong materials, crush the LSAT, and apply broadly.
Note: The ABA used to list Non-USResident on the required disclosure 509 report, but discontinued doing so this year. However, you can view previous years’ reports here and see about how many international students attended every year prior to 2024. You can also see how many students matriculated without a reportable GPA, a number that is typically made up entirely or almost entirely of international students with degrees from outside of the U.S.
