Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania · Private · ABA-approved since 2008 · Data updated November 2, 2026
Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law is a private law school in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, approved by the American Bar Association since 2008. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 160, higher than 54% of ABA-approved schools, saw 84.2% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 85.7% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, Drexel University received 2,689 completed applications and made 797 offers, an acceptance rate of 29.6%. 181 students enrolled in the first-year class. The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 154 | 160 | 162 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.35 | 3.76 | 3.87 |
A quarter of the class scored 154 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 162 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 160, 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.
2 of the entering students were admitted on a GRE score instead of the LSAT.
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 $58,850 a year. That is more than 67% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $28,022 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $57,000 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $1,850 |
| Living costs, on campus | $28,022 |
| Living costs, off campus | $28,022 |
| Living costs, at home | $12,614 |
In 2024-25, 76% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $28,667, and the middle half of awards ran from $13,000 to $45,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $30,183 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 | 36% |
| Half to full tuition | 35% |
| Full tuition | 0% |
| More than full tuition | 3% |
Scholarships that can be cut. Drexel University awards some conditional scholarships, which shrink or end if a student's grades fall below a set mark. Of 30 students who entered in 2024-25 with one, 4 had it reduced or eliminated (13%). For students who entered in 2023-24 the figure was 7 of 31. 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 $260,616. With the median scholarship every year, about $174,615. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 133 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 112 passed: 84.2%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 79.5%, so the school finished 4.7 points above that average.
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Pennsylvania | 103 | 88 | 85.4% | 79.7% |
| 13 other jurisdictions | 30 | 24 | 80% | 79.3% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 147 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 135 had passed one within two years: 91.8%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 133 2025 graduates, 114 (85.7%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 5 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. 7 (5.3%) were unemployed and looking for work.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 133 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 21 (15.8%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Pennsylvania (82), followed by New Jersey (19) and Delaware (7).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 10 first-year students left Drexel University: 7 for academic reasons (3%) and 3 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (1%).
Transfers run both ways: 4 first-year students transferred out and 3 transferred in from other law schools.
Classes, clinics and faculty
Drexel University offered 120 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 88% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 80 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 73 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 120 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 318 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 4 |
The school reports 37 full-time faculty and 110 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 461 J.D. students, that is about 12 students per full-time faculty member.
How Drexel University compares in Pennsylvania
Pennsylvania has 8 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, Drexel University ranks 4th in median LSAT, 7th in first-time bar passage, 5th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and 4th-lowest tuition.
| School | Median LSAT | Tuition | Bar pass | Lawyer jobs |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| University of Pennsylvania | 173 | $84,492 | 94.4% | 97.2% |
| Temple University | 165 | $34,137 | 89% | 88.2% |
| Villanova University | 164 | $60,750 | 90% | 90.8% |
| Drexel University | 160 | $58,850 | 84.2% | 85.7% |
| University of Pittsburgh | 160 | $41,633 | 93% | 82% |
| Penn State Dickinson Law | 159 | $60,479 | 87.6% | 83.4% |
| Duquesne University | 157 | $60,118 | 89.7% | 86.8% |
| Widener University Commonwealth Law School | 150 | $56,900 | 68.9% | 77.1% |
More on each, and on the Pennsylvania bar exam: law schools in Pennsylvania.
Schools with similar admissions numbers
These five schools admitted fall 2025 classes with the median LSAT and GPA closest to Drexel 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Drexel University | 160 | 3.76 | $58,850 | 84.2% | 85.7% |
| University of Nevada, Las Vegas Las Vegas, NV | 160 | 3.76 | $33,128 | 83.5% | 88.9% |
| Chicago-Kent College of Law Chicago, IL | 161 | 3.72 | $54,080 | 79.7% | 75.4% |
| University of Kentucky Lexington, KY | 159 | 3.72 | $27,301 | 79.8% | 89.6% |
| University of Missouri Columbia, MO | 161 | 3.72 | $25,503 | 86.2% | 86.4% |
| University of St. Thomas (Minnesota) Minneapolis, MN | 159 | 3.72 | $51,632 | 85.1% | 82.6% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 160, with the middle half scoring 154 to 162. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.76. The school accepted 29.6% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law?
84.2% of Drexel University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 79.5%. Within two years of graduating, 91.8% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $58,850 a year. Most students pay less: 76% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $28,667.
Do Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 85.7% 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. 5.3% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law ABA-accredited?
Yes. Drexel University Thomas R. Kline School of Law has been approved by the American Bar Association since 2008, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.