Class of 2026
On August 14, 2023, the J.D. Class of 2026 joined the W&M Law community in Williamsburg. Their records of achievements, awards, honors, leadership, employment, and service demonstrate great promise and a strong determination to become excellent citizen lawyers.
Members of the class, which numbers 154, hail from 35 states, the District of Columbia, the U.S. Virgin Islands, Canada, Trinidad & Tobago, and China. They have a median LSAT of 166 (75th/25th: 168/162), a median undergraduate GPA of 3.77 (75th/25th: 3.87/3.55) and an average age of 24.
Seventy percent of the class is from out of state.
Twenty-five percent of the class identify as persons of color, with four percent Hispanic/Latino, ten percent Asian, and 11 percent Black/African American.
Ten percent identify as LGBTQ, and 10 percent are first-generation students.
Sixty-three percent have full-time work experience, and eight percent hold advanced degrees, with seven coming in as active-duty military or veteran students.
The total number of applicants was 2,248.
The Class of 2026 attended 107 different undergraduate institutions, 17 in Virginia and 90 in other locations.
The leading Virginia undergraduate institutions were George Mason University, University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Washington & Lee, and William & Mary,
Other undergraduate institutions with two or more matriculants include: American University, Brandeis University, Brigham-Young University, Bucknell University, Dartmouth College, Florida State University, Franklin & Marshall College, Georgetown University, Hampton University, Howard University, Indiana University at Bloomington, James Madison University, Ohio State University, Tulane University, University of California at Los Angeles, University of Florida, University of Georgia, University of Maryland at College Park, University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, University of Richmond, University of Texas at Austin, and Washington University at St. Louis.
Other matriculants are graduates of colleges and universities such as, for example: Amherst College, Bowdoin College, Clemson University, Cornell University, Duke University, Emory and Henry College, George Washington University, Kenyon College, McGill University, Skidmore College, St. John's College, Swarthmore College, University of Southern California, Vanderbilt University, Wake Forest University, and Wellesley College.
In addition to Virginia, the class represents the following states with five or more students: California (13), Florida (7), Georgia (5), Maryland (6), New Jersey (8), New York (5), Pennsylvania (6), and Washington (6).
Predominant undergraduate majors include economics, English, government, history, international relations, philosophy, political science, and psychology. Many other disciplines also are represented such as, for example, accounting, communications, finance, international studies, and sociology.