Overview

Applicants
791
Acceptance Rate
66%
Median Undergrad GPA
3.20
Accepted Applicants Who Attend
174

Test Scores

LSAT
25th-75th percentile
(enrolled students)
147 - 151

Deadlines

Application Deadlines
May 15

Application Process

Rolling Admissions
Yes

Application Fee
$60

CAS Service Used
Yes

Applicants accepted in terms other than fall
Yes

Transfer Applicants Accepted
Yes

Deferred Admission
No

Other Admission Factors

Academic

LSAT Score
Undergraduate GPA
Letters of Recommendation
Essay / Personal Statement

Selectivity Rating

Faculty Information

Student/Faculty
18:1
Total Faculty
52

44
Female
10
Underrepresented Minorities


Students Say

Widener University Delaware Law School is “the only law school in Delaware,” and in this privileged position, offers unique “access to the Delaware legal community” and opportunities “to network with the corporate capital of the United States” or, some argue, “the world.” Delaware Law School builds its curricula in order to prepare students to maximize business law opportunities: “The greatest strengths this school offers are its encouragement of practical skills courses, such as judicial and clinical externships, its emphasis on legal research and writing, and its focus on business contracts drafting.”
In fact, the university’s location in Wilmington, Delaware Law School offers portals to extracurriculars, internships, and jobs in “the Philadelphia, Delaware, New Jersey region” as well. Many nontraditional students are attracted by Delaware Law School’s “availability of an evening program” and “relatively humane tuition,” in addition to the fact that “most of the professors aren't the 'Ivory Tower' type and try to keep things interesting.” Student opinions of the faculty, while mostly positive, are somewhat mixed overall: “It mostly has wonderful professors that are interesting and engaging,” but “the faculty varies from wildly overqualified to merely a heartbeat in the front of the room.” Despite the critics, many report that “Professors are willing to help and do anything they can to help you succeed,” and one student argues, “I have a graduate degree from an Ivy League university and the quality of my professors at Widener Law meet or exceed those at my prior institution.”
As for how the school is run, students say the “administration of the school overall needs to improve, and to improve our school’s reputation especially.” “This place is a nightmare. Nothing is organized in an efficient way.” As of July 2015, Delaware Law School officially separated from Widener University’s other law campus in Harrisburg, Pennsylvania. By separating from the Harrisburg campus, Delaware Law School will have an administration dedicated entirely to the needs of the students in Delaware, with all student services based in Delaware. Aspiring lawyers looking to compete are eager for Widener to improve job placement—“the career development office sucks”—by doing more to raise its national ranking. “It's pretty damaging in interviews to say you go to Widener when they're also interviewing grads from Penn, Villanova, etc.” Students name “availability [of] internships and externships” as a strength of the university, and tout the strong reputation of the school in the local area along with the convenient nearby corporate centers that provide a wider breadth of experiences. Facilities are very unpopular, with students calling them “terrible” and “subpar for the amount of tuition we pay,” though “all classrooms are equipped with a smartboard, computer, etc.” Though student feedback about some facets is mixed, many students express the belief that, “Our administration really works with the students in order to promote a healthy educational environment.”

Career overview

Pass Rate for First-Time Bar Exam
63%
Median Starting Salary
$51,607
% of graduates who are employed within ten months of graduation
84%
% of job accepting graduates providing useable salary information
40%

Career Services

On campus summer employment recruitment for first year JD students
Yes

On campus summer employment recruitment for second year JD students
Yes

# of Employers that Recruit on Campus Each Year
30

Employers who most frequently hire graduates
law firms, judges, corporations and other government employers.

Graduates Employed by Area

42%
Private Practice
22%
Judicial Clerkships
10%
Business/Industry
6%
Government
3%
Public Interes
2%
Academic

Graduates Employed by Region

65%
Mid-Atlantic
31%
South
2%
Pacific
1%
International
1%
MidWest
1%
South West

Prominent Alumni

Carl W. Battle, Class of '82
Senior Vice President and Chief Patent Counsel Glaxo Smith Kline

Cynthia Rhoades Ryan, Class of '79
General Counsel, Natl Geospatial Intell Agency

Honorable Lee A. Solomon, Class of '78
Justice, New Jersey Supreme Court

Vivian L. Medinilla, Class of '93
Delaware Superior Court Judge

Eugene D. McGurk, Class of '78
Partner, Raynes McCarty, Philadelphia, PA

Dates

Financial Aid Rating
Apr 1

Financial Aid Statistics

Average Annual Total Aid Package Awarded
$48,370

% Students Receiving Some Aid
100%

Expenses per Academic Year

Tuition
$48,750
Estimated On-Campus Room and Board
$12,510
Estimated Off-Campus Room and Board
$12,510
Estimated Cost for Books / Academic Expense
$1,550
Fees
$180

Student Body Profile

Total Enrollment
515
Parent Institution Enrollement
5,579

Number of Foreign Countries Represented
3
Average Age at Entry
23

% Out-of-State
83%
% International
0%

Demographics

23.00%
% Under-represented Minorities

73% are full time
27% are part time
49% female
51% male

Campus Life

Students Say

Delaware Law School’s social culture, while present, is diminished by the prevalence of commuting and/or evening students. The Student Bar Association hosts some “social events.” “The administration is hit and miss, the Office of Student Affairs has a wonderful staff. They work hard for the students, are easily accessible, and helpful 100 percent of the way.” Many students contend that the university should retool the library to be “open 24/7 while classes are in session.”

More Information

% of Classrooms with Internet Access
100%

Admissions Office Contact

Contact
Barbara L. Ayars, Esq.
Associate Dean for Admissions

Address
4601 Concord Pike
Wilmington, DE 19803

Phone
302-477-2703

Email
delawarelaw@widener.edu