Ave Maria School of Law
Naples, Florida · Private · ABA-approved since 2005 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Ave Maria School of Law is a private law school in Naples, Florida, approved by the American Bar Association since 2005. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 155, higher than 25% of ABA-approved schools, saw 77.5% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 81.5% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- 17% of first-year students left during the year, a higher share than at 3% of schools.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Ave Maria School of Law received 1,212 completed applications and made 569 offers, an acceptance rate of 47%. 165 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 152 | 155 | 158 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.07 | 3.36 | 3.66 |
A quarter of the class scored 152 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 158 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 155, 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 $52,350 a year. That is more than 56% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $32,765 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $49,500 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $2,850 |
| Living costs, on campus | $32,765 |
| Living costs, off campus | $32,765 |
| Living costs, at home | $32,765 |
In 2024-25, 73% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $30,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $7,365 to $47,400. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $22,350 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 | 22% |
| Half to full tuition | 48% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| More than full tuition | 4% |
Scholarships that can be cut. Ave Maria School of Law awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 116 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 27 had it reduced or eliminated (23%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 25 of 92. Ask any school that offers you one exactly what you must do to keep it.
Three years, roughly. At 2025-26 prices, three years of full-time tuition and fees plus off-campus living costs come to about $255,345. With the median scholarship every year, about $165,345. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 71 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 55 passed: 77.5%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 77.6%, so the school finished within a few points of that average (-0.2 pts).
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Florida | 52 | 39 | 75% | 75.7% |
| 11 other jurisdictions | 19 | 16 | 84.2% | 82% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 74 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 61 had passed one within two years: 82.4%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 81 2025 graduates, 66 (81.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 2 more (2.5%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 6 (7.4%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 81 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 4 (4.9%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Florida (57), followed by California (3) and New York (2).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 29 first-year students left Ave Maria School of Law: 19 for academic reasons (11%) and 10 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (6%).
Transfers run both ways: 2 first-year students transferred out and 3 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Ave Maria School of Law offered 67 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 81% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 62 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 34 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 67 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 70 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 6 |
The school reports 28 full-time faculty and 15 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 334 J.D. students, that is about 12 students per full-time faculty member.
How Ave Maria School of Law compares in Florida
Florida has 11 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Ave Maria School of Law ranks 7th in median LSAT, 8th in first-time bar passage, 6th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 9th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Florida | 169 | $21,804 | 90.2% | 88.8% |
| Florida State University | 166 | $23,781 | 88.8% | 87.1% |
| University of Miami | 164 | $69,218 | 85.3% | 83.3% |
| Florida International University | 161 | $21,129 | 85.9% | 84.1% |
| Stetson University | 159 | $57,017 | 84.9% | 81.2% |
| Jacksonville University | 156 | $36,820 | 92.3% | 92.3% |
| Ave Maria School of Law | 155 | $52,350 | 77.5% | 81.5% |
| Nova Southeastern University | 155 | $50,710 | 74.5% | 69.5% |
| Florida A&M University | 152 | $13,855 | 74.7% | 71.3% |
| St. Thomas University (Miami) | 152 | $47,578 | 87.1% | 77.8% |
| Barry University | 150 | $43,150 | 58.9% | 63.8% |
More on each, and on the Florida bar exam: law schools in Florida.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Ave Maria 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ave Maria School of Law | 155 | 3.36 | $52,350 | 77.5% | 81.5% |
| Elon University Greensboro, NC | 154 | 3.40 | $45,333 | 69.9% | 82.2% |
| South Texas College of Law Houston Houston, TX | 155 | 3.41 | $44,960 | 85.6% | 81.9% |
| Northern Kentucky University Highland Heights, KY | 154 | 3.41 | $25,392 | 76.2% | 68.8% |
| Touro University Central Islip, NY | 153 | 3.35 | $62,150 | 67.9% | 75.2% |
| New England Law | Boston Boston, MA | 153 | 3.37 | $63,216 | 73.9% | 51.4% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Ave Maria School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 155, with the middle half scoring 152 to 158. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.36. The school accepted 47% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Ave Maria School of Law?
77.5% of Ave Maria School of Law graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 77.6%. Within two years of graduating, 82.4% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Ave Maria School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $52,350 a year. Most students pay less: 73% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $30,000.
Do Ave Maria School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 81.5% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 2.5% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 7.4% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Ave Maria School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Ave Maria School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 2005, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.