Today, Harvard Law School welcomed to campus its most diverse class of J.D. students in school history — with record-breaking test scores and grade point averages, to boot.

For the first time, 56% of the members of the class of 2024 identify as people of color, and 54% identify as women, while average undergraduate GPAs and LSAT scores rose to historic highs, at 3.92 and 174, respectively. Current and former members of the U.S. Armed Forces, including members of the U.S. Special Forces, are also represented in the highest numbers at HLS since the mid-20th century.

“I am delighted to welcome the truly extraordinary group of students who are joining our community this fall,” says John F. Manning ’85, the Morgan and Helen Chu Dean of Harvard Law School and professor of law. “I look forward to meeting them and am so glad they have come to HLS to learn to be the great lawyers and leaders I know they will be!”

Harvard Law School, like many law schools around the nation, received a historic number of applications for entry this academic year, at nearly 10,000, ultimately admitting just 6.9% of applicants.

“There was exceptional talent in the application pool this year,” says Kristi Jobson ’12, assistant dean for admissions at Harvard Law School. “Our entering students represent an incredible diversity of backgrounds and life experiences, adding to the richness and depth of our campus community.”

The 560 members of the incoming J.D. class hail from nearly every U.S. state plus Guam, Washington D.C., and Puerto Rico, and 18 international locations. Students attended 171 undergraduate institutions, and represent 62 distinct undergrad majors, including 12% with STEM degrees. First-year students also bring more than 40 language skills to HLS, including American Sign Language, Catalan, Chamorro, Igbo, Massachusett, Persian, Thai, and Yoruba.

The class of 2024 includes 19 Fulbright Scholars, five Schwarzman Scholars, four QuestBridge Scholars, three Posse Scholars, two Truman Scholars, one Marshall Scholar, two Rhodes Scholars, and two Gates Millennium Scholars, among many other awards and honors.

Prior to attending law school, incoming students worked as teachers, performing artists, writers for comedy shows, political campaign managers, an NFL football coach, and podcast hosts. Collectively, the class of 2024 has served 73 members of the U.S. Congress.

“I am really proud to be matriculating such an outstanding class of students,” says Jobson. “It is an honor to have them at Harvard Law School.”