Student Body Profile
Western State University encourages and welcomes a student body that is diverse in ethnic and cultural background. Students range in age from early twenties just out of college to mid-career professionals in their forties or fifties who bring decades of life and work experience and advanced degrees to the law school. While a majority of students each year come from California colleges, a significant number of students move from out of state, and several from foreign countries. Undergraduate majors range from history, philosophy or political science to engineering, sciences and the arts. While some students come from generations of lawyers and jurists, most will be the first lawyer in their family, and many will be the first in their family to graduate from college and complete graduate school.
The environment at WSU is accepting and collaborative; students are not overly competitive with one another, and the community culture is one which fosters mutual support, study groups, and formation of strong friendships among classmates.
The student body is about 50% female; about 35% represent minorities. The average age is about 25, and typically ranges from 20 to over 50 in each class. Most students are in the full time program and work no more than a few hours per week during the academic year. Part time students, who may work up to full time, make up almost a quarter of the student body. While most students are single, a significant number are married and some have children.