George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School
Arlington, Virginia · Public · ABA-approved since 1980 · Data updated November 2, 2026
George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School is a public law school in Arlington, Virginia, approved by the American Bar Association since 1980. It admitted a fall 2025 class with a median LSAT of 169, higher than 86% of ABA-approved schools, saw 86.3% of its first-time bar takers pass in 2025 and placed 81.4% of its 2025 graduates in full-time lawyer jobs.
What stands out
- Harder to get into than 88% of schools: it accepted 15.9% of applicants.
- A median LSAT of 169, higher than 86% of ABA-approved schools.
Admissions: LSAT, GPA and acceptance rate
For the class that entered in fall 2025, George Mason University received 2,792 completed applications and made 443 offers, an acceptance rate of 15.9%. 159 students enrolled in the first-year class (132 full-time, 27 part-time). The typical ABA school accepted 35.8%.
| Entering class, fall 2025 | 25th percentile | Median | 75th percentile |
|---|---|---|---|
| LSAT | 162 | 169 | 171 |
| Undergraduate GPA | 3.55 | 3.93 | 3.98 |
A quarter of the class scored 162 or lower on the LSAT and a quarter scored 171 or higher. An applicant at or above the median, 169, 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.
4 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 $27,832 a year for Virginia residents and $43,946 for everyone else. That is less than 76% of ABA schools charge. The school estimates living costs of $38,342 a year off campus.
| Annual cost, 2025-26 | Amount |
|---|---|
| Tuition, full-time, resident | $24,864 |
| Fees, full-time, resident | $2,968 |
| Tuition, full-time, nonresident | $40,978 |
| Fees, full-time, nonresident | $2,968 |
| Living costs, on campus | $38,342 |
| Living costs, off campus | $38,342 |
| Living costs, at home | $27,587 |
In 2024-25, 85% of full-time students received a grant or scholarship from the school. The median award was $21,000, and the middle half of awards ran from $14,000 to $32,000. Subtract the median award from the full-time tuition and fees above and a typical recipient pays about $6,832 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 | 32% |
| Half to full tuition | 46% |
| Full tuition | 5% |
| More than full tuition | 1% |
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 $198,522. With the median scholarship every year, about $135,522. Tuition usually rises each year, so treat this as a floor.
Bar passage
Of 161 graduates who took a bar exam for the first time in 2025, 139 passed: 86.3%. The average for the same exams, weighted by where its graduates sat, was 83.4%, so the school finished within a few points of that average (+3 pts).
| Where they sat, 2025 | Takers | Passed | School | State average |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| District of Columbia | 65 | 56 | 86.2% | 87.5% |
| Virginia | 59 | 48 | 81.4% | 81.6% |
| 14 other jurisdictions | 37 | 35 | 94.6% | 78.5% |
The ABA also follows each class for two years. Of the 150 members of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam, 145 had passed one within two years: 96.7%.
Jobs after graduation
The ABA counts where each class is working ten months after graduation. Of 167 2025 graduates, 136 (81.4%) had full-time, long-term jobs that require bar passage, and 27 more (16.2%) had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. At the typical ABA school, 83.4% were in lawyer jobs. 0 (0%) were unemployed and looking for work. 2 of the full-time, long-term jobs were funded by the school.
Law firm jobs by firm size
Shares are of all 167 graduates. Firms of more than 250 lawyers, the usual sense of “Big Law,” hired 23 (13.8%).
Where graduates work
Most employed graduates stayed in Virginia (64), followed by District of Columbia (52) and California (5).
Students who leave
In 2024-25, 5 first-year students left George Mason University: 3 for academic reasons (3%) and 2 for other reasons, such as transferring to another school (2%).
Transfers run both ways: 2 first-year students transferred out and 26 transferred in from other law schools. The students who transferred in had a median first-year law school GPA of 3.36.
Classes, clinics and faculty
George Mason University offered 153 upper-level course titles beyond the first-year curriculum in 2024-25. Of its upper-level class sections, 91% had fewer than 25 students and 0% had 75 or more.
| Hands-on learning, 2024-25 | Number |
|---|---|
| Law clinic seats available | 124 |
| Law clinic seats filled | 101 |
| Field placement (externship) positions filled | 270 |
| Simulation course seats filled | 541 |
| Co-curricular offerings (journals, moot court, etc.) | 0 |
The school reports 52 full-time faculty and 166 more who teach part-time or in other roles. With 438 J.D. students, that is about 8 students per full-time faculty member.
How George Mason University compares in Virginia
Virginia has 8 ABA-approved law schools. Among them, George Mason University ranks 2nd in median LSAT, 6th in first-time bar passage, 7th in share of graduates in lawyer jobs and the 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 George Mason 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 |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| George Mason University | 169 | 3.93 | $27,832 | 86.3% | 81.4% |
| University of Georgia Athens, GA | 169 | 3.92 | $19,502 | 88.4% | 93.5% |
| University of Florida Gainesville, FL | 169 | 3.91 | $21,804 | 90.2% | 88.8% |
| University of Southern California Los Angeles, CA | 169 | 3.91 | $85,948 | 94.1% | 94.3% |
| University of California, Berkeley Berkeley, CA | 170 | 3.92 | $66,374 | 94.8% | 96.8% |
| Brigham Young University Provo, UT | 170 | 3.95 | $15,992 | 96.8% | 89.8% |
Frequently asked questions
What LSAT score do you need to get into George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School?
There is no cutoff, but the class that entered in fall 2025 had a median LSAT of 169, with the middle half scoring 162 to 171. The median undergraduate GPA was 3.93. The school accepted 15.9% of applicants.
What is the bar passage rate at George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School?
86.3% of George Mason University graduates taking a bar exam for the first time in 2025 passed, against a weighted state average of 83.4%. Within two years of graduating, 96.7% of the class of 2023 who took a bar exam had passed.
How much does George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School cost?
Full-time tuition and fees for 2025-26 are $27,832 a year for Virginia residents and $43,946 for nonresidents. Most students pay less: 85% of full-time students received a grant, with a median award of $21,000.
Do George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School graduates get jobs?
Ten months after graduation, 81.4% of the class of 2025 had full-time, long-term jobs requiring bar passage, and 16.2% more had full-time, long-term jobs where a law degree is an advantage. 0% were unemployed and seeking work.
Is George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School ABA-accredited?
Yes. George Mason University, Antonin Scalia Law School has been approved by the American Bar Association since 1980, so its graduates can sit for the bar exam in every state.