UC Davis

CA · Public · Pacific

Acceptance rate: 21% (3,912 applicants)
Median LSAT: 165 (middle 50%: 160–167)
Median GPA: 3.70 (middle 50%: 3.49–3.87)
Tuition: $69,705 (per year, nonresident)
Bar passage: 93.2% (+10.7 pts vs. state average)

Deadlines

Early decision priority deadline final deadline: Nov. 1, 2026
Early decision priority deadline final deadline: March 15, 2027
Early decision priority deadline final deadline: June 1, 2027

Essays

Personal statement (2 to 4 pages, double-spaced, 12-point (includes any supplements))

The statement may discuss any of a variety of factors, including academic promise, background information, and any discrepancies in GPA and/or LSAT score and/or GRE score; growth, maturity, and commitment to law study as evidenced, for example, by extracurricular activities, community service, military service, employment experience and advanced study; severe economic disadvantage or physical disability; other factors relating to personal background, including bilingual skills and unusual accomplishments, skills or abilities relevant to the legal profession.

Community Contribution Statement (Counts toward the 4-page total)

Community Contribution Statement describing personal background or an experience that enables an applicant to bring a unique perspective to the study of law, our community, and/or contribute to serving the diverse populations of California and beyond

Addenda (Counts toward the 4-page total)

Addenda (for example, LSAT, GRE, GPA, leave of absence from school, etc.) providing additional context and describing special circumstances necessary to evaluate the application fairly

MLK Public Interest Scholarship essay (Up to 3 pages, double-spaced)

Provide a typed double spaced essay of no more than three pages discussing as many of the following as are applicable: your interest in public law and plans for a career in that area; community involvement; evidence of leadership; evidence of high potential for academic or professional achievement; evidence of educational or economic background indicative of limited access to graduate or professional opportunity; previous or current residence in a community where attainment of higher education is rare; GPA or LSAT scores indicative of ability to successfully complete a rigorous course of legal study.

Editor's notes

If Davis is your first choice, look hard at Early Decision. It's binding, but it's the only route to the four $60,000 Select Scholar awards, and you'll know by Nov. 30. Three of the four awards target a specific background (UC graduate, STEM, environmental science), so check whether you fit one.
Apply by March 15, not June 1. Davis says it makes a significant number of offers by April and very few after, and applicants near the final deadline compete for far fewer seats.
No interview means your writing does all the talking. Plan the four pages as one document: statement first, then any Community Contribution Statement or addendum, all under the same cap. If the addendum needs a page, the statement gets three.
Your résumé matters more here than at many schools. Davis asks for weekly hours on jobs and activities during the school year, so a student who worked 25 hours a week gets credit for it only if you write the number down.