Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University
Phoenix, Arizona · Public · ABA-approved since 1969 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University is a public law school in Phoenix, Arizona, approved by the American Bar Association since 1969. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 165, higher than 76% of ABA-approved schools, saw 91.9% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 89% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- First-time bar passage 13.7 points above the average for the states where its graduates sat.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Arizona State University received 4,610 completed applications and made 912 offers, an acceptance rate of 19.8%. 266 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 158 | 165 | 167 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.58 | 3.91 | 3.98 |
A quarter of the class scored 158 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 167 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 165, 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 $29,833 a year for Arizona residents and $53,542 for everyone else. That is less than 73% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $33,090 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $28,390 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $1,443 |
| Tuition, full-time, nonresident | $52,099 |
| Fees, full-time, nonresident | $1,443 |
| Living costs, on campus | $33,090 |
| Living costs, off campus | $33,090 |
| Living costs, at home | $33,090 |
In 2024-25, 96% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $20,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $5,000 to $33,336. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $9,833 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 | 44% |
| Half to full tuition | 39% |
| Full tuition | 11% |
| More than full tuition | 2% |
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 at the in-state rate plus off-campus living costs come to about $188,769. With the median scholarship every year, about $128,769. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 273 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 251 passed: 91.9%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 78.2%, so the school finished a full 13.7 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 17 other jurisdictions | 37 | 35 | 94.6% | 78.7% |
| Arizona | 190 | 176 | 92.6% | 76.5% |
| California | 28 | 24 | 85.7% | 82.7% |
| District of Columbia | 18 | 16 | 88.9% | 87.5% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 254 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 240 had passed one within two years: 94.5%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 290 2025 graduates, 258 (89%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 11 more (3.8%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 12 (4.1%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 290 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 50 (17.2%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Arizona (181), followed by California (25) and District of Columbia (14).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 3 first-year students left Arizona State University: 0 for academic reasons (0%) and 3 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 6 first-year students transferred out and 24 transferred in from other law schools. The students who transferred in had a median first-year law school GPA of 3.26.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Arizona State University offered 203 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 84% had fewer than 25 students and 2% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 206 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 117 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 535 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 631 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 40 |
The school reports 71 full-time faculty and 152 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 744 J.D. students, that is about 10 students per full-time faculty member.
How Arizona State University compares in Arizona
Arizona has 2 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Arizona State University ranks first in median LSAT, first in first-time bar passage, 2nd in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 2nd-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 165 | $29,833 | 91.9% | 89% |
| University of Arizona | 163 | $26,612 | 84.1% | 90% |
More on each, and on the Arizona bar exam: law schools in Arizona.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Arizona State University'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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Arizona State University | 165 | 3.91 | $29,833 | 91.9% | 89% |
| Indiana University Bloomington Bloomington, IN | 164 | 3.91 | $38,472 | 84.6% | 84.8% |
| Florida State University Tallahassee, FL | 166 | 3.93 | $23,781 | 88.8% | 87.1% |
| University of Tennessee Knoxville, TN | 164 | 3.89 | $20,562 | 85.6% | 88.7% |
| Wayne State University Detroit, MI | 164 | 3.89 | $42,594 | 73.8% | 84.7% |
| University of Utah Salt Lake City, UT | 166 | 3.87 | $35,829 | 94.6% | 92.5% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 165, with the middle half scoring 158 to 167. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.91. The school accepted 19.8% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University?
91.9% of Arizona State University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 78.2%. Within two years of graduating, 94.5% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $29,833 a year for Arizona residents and $53,542 for nonresidents. Most students pay less: 96% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $20,000.
Do Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 89% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 3.8% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 4.1% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University ABA-accredited?
Yes. Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1969, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.