Data Shows It Is Harder To Be A Successful First Gen Student Even After Graduation

In today’s episode of things we already knew, first generation law students have it harder in law school than students that come from families where the question “Who here has a degree?” results in so many raised hands that they could support the roof if it fell. What makes it interesting this time is that there are some numbers that show how the differences play out. From Reuters:

In 2023, first-generation law students entered with an average Law School Admission Test score of 154, which was three points lower than the 157 average among non-first-generation students, the survey found. They also earned a “B” average in law school, compared with a “B+” among other students.

Their lower average LSAT scores and undergraduate grades mean that first-generation law students are less likely to receive so-called merit scholarships, according to the survey, and they tend to come from families with lower incomes. As a result, first-generation law students are expected to graduate with higher debt than their peers. More than a third of first-generation law students said they will leave owing more than $120,000, compared with 23% of law students with a college-educated parent.

The little differences of being first gen can have huge consequences down the line. For example, the study reports that despite studying more than the average student, first gens are also more likely to take care of dependents or work during law school. It shouldn’t be a surprise that having more work to do can take a toll on their grades. And while it can be difficult to come up with easily implementable ways that law schools can accommodate their first gen students, it is much easier to say what they shouldn’t do, like actively discriminate against their pregnant students.

‘First-Generation’ Law Students Saddled With Higher Debt, Lower Scores – Study [Reuters]

Chris Williams became a social media manager and assistant editor for Above the Law in June 2021. Prior to joining the staff, he moonlighted as a minor Memelord™ in the Facebook group Law School Memes for Edgy T14s.  He endured Missouri long enough to graduate from Washington University in St. Louis School of Law. He is a former boatbuilder who cannot swim, a published author on critical race theory, philosophy, and humor, and has a love for cycling that occasionally annoys his peers. You can reach him by email at cwilliams@abovethelaw.com and by tweet at @WritesForRent.