Appalachian School of Law
Grundy, Virginia · Private · ABA-approved since 2006 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Appalachian School of Law is a private law school in Grundy, Virginia, approved by the American Bar Association since 2006. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 146, higher than 1% of ABA-approved schools, saw 54.8% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 53.5% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- First-time bar passage 25.9 points below the average for the states where its graduates sat.
- A median LSAT of 146, lower than 98% of ABA-approved schools.
- 53.5% of 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs, fewer than at 96% of schools.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Appalachian School of Law received 732 completed applications and made 446 offers, an acceptance rate of 60.9%. 92 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 145 | 146 | 151 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 2.72 | 3.20 | 3.53 |
A quarter of the class scored 145 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 151 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 146, is in the stronger half of this class; one below the 25th percentile is a long shot unless something else in the file stands out.
Where would your numbers fall in this class?
Enter an LSAT score and undergraduate GPA. We compare them with the class that entered in fall 2025. This shows where your numbers sit, not your chances: admissions offices read the whole file.
Tuition, living costs and scholarships
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $41,000 a year. That is less than 59% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $41,800 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $41,000 |
| Living costs, off campus | $41,800 |
| Living costs, at home | $41,800 |
In 2024-25, 87% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $10,250, and the middle half of awards ran from $5,500 to $24,600. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $30,750 a year in tuition and fees, before living costs. That is a rough guide, since awards vary and some students get nothing.
| Size of grant, all students | Share of students |
|---|---|
| Less than half tuition | 55% |
| Half to full tuition | 19% |
| Full tuition | 7% |
| More than full tuition | 6% |
Scholarships that can be cut. The school reports that it does not award scholarships that are reduced or ended because of grades, other than for failing to stay in good academic standing.
Three years, roughly. At 2025-26 prices, three years of full-time tuition and fees plus off-campus living costs come to about $248,400. With the median scholarship every year, about $217,650. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 42 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 23 passed: 54.8%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 80.7%, so the school finished a full 25.9 points below that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 15 other jurisdictions | 42 | 23 | 54.8% | 80.3% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 47 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 43 had passed one within two years: 91.5%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 43 2025 graduates, 23 (53.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 4 more (9.3%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 4 (9.3%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 43 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 0 (0%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Virginia (11), followed by Kentucky (7) and West Virginia (3).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 9 first-year students left Appalachian School of Law: 8 for academic reasons (11%) and 1 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 9 first-year students transferred out and 0 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Appalachian School of Law offered 65 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 82% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 50 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 10 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 48 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 218 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 2 |
The school reports 16 full-time faculty and 11 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 182 J.D. students, that is about 11 students per full-time faculty member.
How Appalachian School of Law compares in Virginia
Virginia has 8 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Appalachian School of Law ranks 8th in median LSAT, 8th in first-time bar passage, 8th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 2nd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Virginia | 173 | $77,900 | 95.1% | 98.1% |
| George Mason University | 169 | $27,832 | 86.3% | 81.4% |
| Washington and Lee University | 167 | $59,940 | 93.5% | 91.8% |
| William & Mary | 166 | $46,102 | 92.8% | 91% |
| University of Richmond | 164 | $57,700 | 91.3% | 88% |
| Regent University | 158 | $44,854 | 91.3% | 93.2% |
| Liberty University | 154 | $45,348 | 85.3% | 88% |
| Appalachian School of Law | 146 | $41,000 | 54.8% | 53.5% |
More on each, and on the Virginia bar exam: law schools in Virginia.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Appalachian School of Law's, so an applicant who fits here is likely to be a similar fit there. Compare what each costs and how its graduates fare.
| School | Median LSAT | Median GPA | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Appalachian School of Law | 146 | 3.20 | $41,000 | 54.8% | 53.5% |
| Southern University Baton Rouge, LA | 147 | 3.15 | $18,832 | 68.1% | 40.3% |
| Wilmington University School of Law Wilmington, DE | 149 | 3.13 | $24,053 | — | — |
| Cooley Law School Lansing, MI | 147 | 3.09 | $48,040 | 51.5% | 58.7% |
| Barry University Orlando, FL | 150 | 3.23 | $43,150 | 58.9% | 63.8% |
| Ohio Northern University Ada, OH | 149 | 3.34 | $33,900 | 56.4% | 83.7% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Appalachian School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 146, with the middle half scoring 145 to 151. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.20. The school accepted 60.9% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Appalachian School of Law?
54.8% of Appalachian School of Law graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 80.7%. Within two years of graduating, 91.5% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Appalachian School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $41,000 a year. Most students pay less: 87% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $10,250.
Do Appalachian School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 53.5% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 9.3% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 9.3% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Appalachian School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Appalachian School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 2006, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.