The Law School’s new 1L class has the strongest academic credentials and most diversity of any class in the Law School’s history. 

The Class of 2025 has a median 3.83 undergraduate GPA and a median LSAT score of 168, both of which set new records. Six percent of incoming 1Ls have already earned a graduate degree in another field. 

The 220+ members of the class of 2025 hail from 124 undergraduate institutions in 34 states, the District of Columbia, and four different countries. A quarter of the class are domestic students of color, matching last year’s record high. A record 28% self-identify as LGBTQ+, and 14% identify as first-generation college graduates. Combined, 50% of the class of 2025 identify as students of color, LGBTQ+, and/or first-generation college graduates, making the class the most diverse in Law School history. 

The new 1Ls bring a wide array of life experiences, skills, and perspectives. The class includes students who have won Fulbright scholarships, founded startups, reported for a small-town newspaper, invented an eco-friendly cook stove, supported communities as AmeriCorps volunteers and organizers, applied for patents, and sung in the opera professionally. Several are parents and veterans. 

“We are so proud to welcome such a talented and diverse class of future lawyer-leaders to the Minnesota Law community,” said Garry W. Jenkins, dean and William S. Pattee Professor of Law. “This impressive and inspiring cohort of students has much to contribute to Minnesota Law and the profession. We can’t wait to see what they accomplish at the Law School and beyond.” 

The new class helped Minnesota Law set another record: With the class of 2025 combined with the two prior classes, the overall J.D. student body is now the most diverse it has ever been in the Law School’s nearly 135-year history. 

In addition to the J.D. degree-seeking students, Minnesota Law also welcomed nearly 50 lawyers in the one-year LL.M. program and as international exchange students from several countries, including Armenia, China, Eswatini, France, The Gambia, Germany, Ghana, Iran, Ireland, Italy, Kenya, Malaysia, New Caledonia, Nigeria, Pakistan, Romania, St. Martin, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Taiwan, Thailand, Turkey, among others.