For the 2025 JD application cycle, law school tuition at Columbia Law School was $163k annually (calculated from semester costs). Prospective law students should budget approximately $60k for the total annual cost of attending (including tuition, fees, books, and living expenses). These law school costs are important considerations when comparing programs and planning your legal education financing.

After completing their JD program at Columbia Law School, graduates entering private law firms earn a median starting salary of $190,000*. JD graduates pursuing public sector legal careers start at approximately $65,000*. These post-law school employment outcomes are important factors for evaluating the return on investment for your legal education.

For law school applicants interested in specific legal career paths, it's worth noting that 81.3% of Columbia Law School JD graduates secure positions at law firms after graduation. Additionally, 6.7% of graduates obtain prestigious judicial clerkships, and 7.2% pursue public interest law careers. Overall, 95.3%* of JD graduates were employed at jobs that required a JD within 10 months of graduation. These employment statistics reflect the range of legal career opportunities available to graduates of this law school.

For JD graduates from Columbia Law School, the bar exam pass rate is 95.5% on the first attempt. This bar passage rate is an important metric for prospective law school applicants to consider, as it reflects how well the law school prepares its students for this crucial professional licensing examination.